Senshi Sabers!
by shanejayell
Summary: A Sailor Moon/ Bubblegum Crisis Fusion staring Rei Hino and Ami Mizuno!
1. 1

Senshi Sabers, A Sailor Moon/Bubblegum Crisis Fusion Part One  
  
Rei Hino led her band up on to the darkened stage, assessing the rowdy crowd in a single cool glance. She looked back at her band mates and ordered, "Hurricane, on three!" She gave them a moment, then counted down, "One... two.. three!" The band exploded into their signature tune, "There's a hurricane tonight," and the crowd sat up and took notice.  
  
Rei stood up there belting out the tunes in her harsh, raspy voice, moving from song to song in perfect sequence. She was feeling deeply angry, about being called in at the last minute, about the crowd's blatant hostility, about a lot of different things, and she was letting that anger fire up her songs with that rage and passion.  
  
By the end of the last set, the crowd had mellowed a lot, accepting the replacement band and the club's owner was standing there beaming happily at them. 'We'll probably be playing this dive again,' Rei thought to herself wryly.  
  
As Rei left the stage she felt eyes on her and quickly looked up only to see the back of a blue haired figure who was leaving the dark nightclub by the front doors. With a slight shrug Rei turned to go back into the dressing room to change her clothes, toweling all the sweat away and pulling her tight stage leathers off. The mini-skirt and tiny top were dangerous looking, but they helped keep people from recognizing the former shrine maiden.  
  
There was a knock on the door and an older woman entered quietly. "Nicely done," Natsuna Sakurada said, a bit of gray touching her brown hair.  
  
"Thanks," Rei nodded as she pulled on more comfortable street clothes. She looked over her shoulder to ask, "I've always wondered why an ex-cop runs a nightclub?"  
  
"I didn't like what I was hearing from the AD Police," Natsuna said dryly. She had an admiring smile on her face as she looked her over, "You mind playing here again?"  
  
"Yeah, give me a call," Rei said , pulling her riding leathers on over the clothes. They went out into the hallway together, she waved good- bye to her band mates and left.  
  
Out behind the nightclub the motorcycle started up smoothly, Rei pulled her helmet on over her short black hair and then pulled out into the pounding rain. She wasn't on the road very long before another vehicle pulled in not far behind her own. Rei spotted the sports car almost immediately, and picked up the pace a bit.  
  
They were soon playing a game out on those rain slick streets, a wild bit of cat and mouse as Rei took the turns sharply and pulled off a few rapid accelerations. But the car managed to keep pace, being driven with both precision and a bit of guts.  
  
"It looks like they're serious about this, whoever they are," Rei muttered to herself softly, trying to catch a look at the driver.  
  
Rei finally slowed down her bike a bit while picking out a deserted stretch of the highway to coast slowly to a stop. She climbed off of her motorcycle, popped the kickstand down and then leaned up against the powerful machine to wait for her hunter.  
  
The sports car smoothly glided to a stop just ahead of where Rei stood waiting, and it sat there for a moment. Rei felt the comforting weight of the knife that she always carried at her side and stood there patiently. The door slid open and she was mildly surprised to see a woman get out, pausing a moment to take off a pair of stylish but simple glasses.  
  
"Rei Hino?" the blue haired young woman called out.  
  
"Yeah?" Rei looked at her cautiously.  
  
She walked forward nearer to the circle of light from one of the street lights, and Rei saw a few more details. Short blue hair in a boyish cut, a beautiful face that was very reserved, but it was the eyes that struck Rei hard. There was hidden pain in her eyes, the pain of a person who has lost something or someone terribly precious. It was a look Rei was quite familiar with, knowing that her own eyes carried much the same thing.  
  
"My name is Ami Mizuno," she smiled slightly as she stopped a few steps from Rei, "and I have a business proposition for you."  
  
Rei blew out a angry breath, "Not interested." She turned around, pulled her bike up, and prepared to climb back on.  
  
"I know about your Grandfather, the family shrine," Ami said quietly, "and what happened to him when he refused to sell the land off to the Infinity Organization."  
  
Rei stiffened, a flash of memory striking her hard. Coming home to the shrine from school, seeing the broken down door and finding his body laying there in a pool of his own cooling blood. Beaten to death, a totally random killing the police had said to her, ignoring all of the pressure that Infinity had been putting on them, ignoring all the veiled threats.  
  
"It's all ancient history now," Rei grated out, looking up with eyes that flashed with rage, "the cops couldn't do anything."  
  
"How would you like the chance to make Infinity and Prof. Tomoe pay for what they did?" Ami asked quietly.  
  
Rei met her eyes, and saw sincerity in them. She didn't let herself think about it too much before answering, "Keep talking."  
  
"Instead of talking, why not just follow me?" Ami asked. She climbed into her sports car and after a few moments Rei fell in behind her on the bike. They wove through the bad part of town, leaving it before eventually pulling up to a tall office building. The first floor occupied by a business, the windows displaying dresses and other lacy items for the bedroom.  
  
"Silky Doll?" Rei smiled slightly, following Ami inside.  
  
The reserved young woman actually blushed a bit, but didn't reply as they walked through the racks of seductive clothing and even more revealing lingerie. Ami silently led Rei into a concealed elevator, and they swiftly descended into the basement of the building.  
  
The doors hissed open on a lower level, and Rei saw two other women waiting inside. 'Kami, she's tall,' Rei thought, looking up at the brown haired woman. She was clearly athletic, muscles rippling on her arms, and her eyes were a startling shade of green. Lounging in another chair, a blonde haired woman was playing a video game and clearly winning. She was gorgeous, almost idol quality, even with her eyes riveted to the screen.  
  
"Makoto, Minako, I'd like you to meet Rei Hino," Ami smiled, gesturing to the tall woman then over to the blonde.  
  
"So you're our newest recruit," the tall woman smiled. "Makoto Kino," she introduced herself and shook Rei's hand firmly.  
  
The blonde finished her game loudly declaring, "A new high score!" She bounced to her feet and smiled at Rei winningly, "Minako Aino."  
  
Rei pushed her hair back and shot a fierce look at Ami, "What's going on?"  
  
"Come with me," Ami calmly led the three into another room.  
  
Rei noticed both Minako and Makoto exchanging knowing glances as they walked. 'They obviously know something that I don't,' Rei thought, trying to control her irritation. The room that they entered was pitch dark, until Ami hit a switch and lit up what waited for them there. "Wow," Rei found herself murmuring.  
  
Four similar looking battle suits rested in charging stations up against the wall. All smoothly female in appearance, they held carefully restrained power, each one looking battle ready. Makoto walked to the green suit, Minako over to the golden armor, and Ami stood beside an icy blue one, with one suit remaining.  
  
"This is the one that I designed for you," Ami gestured to the blood red suit of armor, real pride in her voice.  
  
Rei walked over to it thoughtfully, looking down at the sleek suit. The helmet was warm in her hands, the weight oddly comforting, and she knew, just knew that it would fit her like a glove. Rei looked up at Ami, feeling that intense glance on her once again.  
  
"You built these." Rei said rather than asked.  
  
"Yes," Ami nodded. She took a breath, "The Infinity Organization and their bio-boomers are out of control. I want you to join us in fighting them."  
  
Rei wanted to, God did she want to, but... "So what's in it for me?" she made herself ask with a false sort of casualness.  
  
"Ignoring your personal reasons," Ami actually smiled, "I'll pay you all for each job, as we'll be taking on some mercenary assignments as a cover."  
  
"Good pay, too," Makoto added with a slight smile.  
  
To be continued... 


	2. 2

Part Two  
  
"And why do you do this?" Rei asked Ami quietly.  
  
Ami's voice became oddly flat, almost entirely devoid of any emotion as she answered, "My Mother, Dr. Mizuno, helped them develop the original bio-boomer technology and Prof. Tomoe killed her once she was no longer useful."  
  
"I'm sorry," Rei said to her softly, now understanding where the loss Rei had seen in Ami's eyes had come from.  
  
Alarms rang out in the small chamber, and Makoto cursed softly. "Bad timing," she muttered, and began to strip down before pulling on a skin tight leotard.  
  
Minako slapped her on the bottom, "You're looking good." She stripped too, then pulled on her golden suit of battle armor.  
  
Ami picked up a leotard from a locker and held it out to Rei. "We could use your help out there," she said quietly, her eyes meeting Rei's.  
  
Rei hesitated, then grabbed the leotard from Ami's hands and stripped down herself. "How hard is it to pilot one of these things?" she nodded to the red suit.  
  
"It only magnifies your own muscle power," Ami began to change as she explained, "the weapon system I'll explain on the way."  
  
Rei noticed how shapely the slim woman was, stripped down just to a leotard, and had to shake herself for a moment. She stepped into the front segment of the suit, and felt it fold itself around her. The body, arms, and legs locked into place, and Rei pulled the helmet on over her head. She took a few steps, balancing carefully on the metallic heels.  
  
"Nice fit," Rei said thoughtfully.  
  
"I did some research before contacting you," Ami explained as she pulled her armor on.  
  
Rei opened and closed her fingers, looking down at the cannon built into the suit's right arm. She raised it, pointing it at the wall as a series of targeting displays came on line in the helmet's visor. She lined up where she wanted to hit, and fired. The metallic foot long needle cut through the air just like a knife, digging deeply into the far wall. After a few moments, Rei was surprised to see the spear explode into flames!  
  
"Thermal charges," Ami explained to the startled woman as she shook her head ruefully adding, "I don't think you'll have any trouble with the weapon systems."  
  
The Silky Doll delivery truck was loaded up and they were all quickly on the move, racing to where the crisis was now unfolding. The bio-boomer's were an incredible innovation, semi-organic robots that were supposed to serve humanity. But there was a grave flaw in their creation, and sometimes they would go rogue, becoming monstrous creatures.  
  
"Makoto, you and I will go in first," Ami said to them intensely. She nodded to Rei, "This is your first time out, so you're our back up." She looked over at Minako, "Be ready to use the electronic counter measures to keep the AD Police off our backs, and the FX to cover our escape."  
  
"Got it," Minako nodded eagerly, all of them sitting with their helmets in their laps.  
  
"Ready to go," Makoto agreed.  
  
'There's no way that I'm hanging back,' Rei thought to herself grimly, pulse racing, but she didn't say anything. "How do you kill these things?" she asked.  
  
"There's a crystal in the middle of the chest," Ami explained as she slid her helmet on, the others following suit, "crush it and they die."  
  
The team deployed from the truck as the misshapen creature howled in rage, gray tentacles writhing all around it as Ami and Makoto carefully moved in first. Silvery blades that trailed frost popped out of the wrists of Ami's armor, freezing and cutting at the creature. Then Makoto leapt in, her suit deploying electrified cutting cables that sliced and shocked it.  
  
It staggered backward, and Rei saw it, 'An opening!'  
  
The suit moved like a dream as Rei went in for the kill. She used her cannon to break through it's weakened defenses, and then plunged her fist into it's chest. She reached around in the tissues as she had been told and pulled out the heart crystal that powered it. The creature gurgled, it's body breaking down into a black ooze pooling around their feet.  
  
Minako's urgent voice came over the radios, "The AD Police are here! Ami, leave your calling card and let's go."  
  
The cruiser pulled up into the lot even as Minako dropped a series of strobe flares that the other three used to get clear. The police, once their eyes cleared, found the remains of the bio-boomer, and something else.  
  
Carved into the ground by a laser beam were the words, "Senshi Sabers."  
  
The tall blonde with her long hair tied up in buns slammed her fist down on the top of her AD Police cruiser. "The Senshi Sabers beat us to the punch again," Usagi complained, "and now there's another one of them!"  
  
Her partner Naru shook her head, her short brown hair moving with the breeze. "Why are you so hung up on them?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know," Usagi sighed, "I just am."  
  
"You're too tense," Naru reached out to put her hand on Usagi's arm. She smiled slightly, "Come home with me tonight, I'll make a new woman of you."  
  
Usagi climbed into the cruiser with a sigh, "I've got a headache."  
  
Naru pouted, climbing in the other side, "But that's what you always say!"  
  
The trip back to the Silky Doll was quiet, all of them lost in their own thoughts. Minako and Makoto disrobed quickly, changing and leaving together walking hand in hand. 'Interesting, very interesting' Rei thought.  
  
The armor came off easily, and Rei stood there a moment dressed in her leotard only, gazing at the helmet in her hands thoughtfully. She sensed a presence, and looked up to see Ami Mizuno looking at her, her expression utterly unreadable.  
  
"What?" Rei asked.  
  
"I'll have to keep in mind that you don't always obey my orders," Ami said quietly, "but other than that, good job."  
  
Having said her piece, Ami should have just left, but she lingered gazing at Rei. Rei put her helmet with the rest of the suit, then advanced on Ami slowly. Ami's eyes widened slightly, but the leotard clad woman didn't flee.  
  
"I saw you watching me at the concert," Rei murmured softly. A slight smile, "Was there another reason you asked me to join your little crusade?"  
  
"Maybe," Ami answered quietly. She slipped away, turning and walking out of the changing room silently.  
  
Rei watched her go with a frown. 'I wonder what's going on with her?' She grabbed her street clothes and began to change, still puzzling over the enigmatic Ms. Mizuno.  
  
In another part of the city a figure gazed out into the darkness. Sandy brown hair blew around his face, his glasses shining in the dim light. He didn't turn around to look at the redhead walking up behind him he just said, "Yes, Kaori?"  
  
Kaori cleared her throat nervously, the beautiful redhead dressed in a woman's business suit. "Director Tomoe," she said, "the progress reports are in. Bio-Boomer production is up 20%, and export of the military models is on the rise. There was some trouble with the city over the new plant but our slush fund helped deal with that."  
  
"And what of the Saturn project?" Tomoe asked coldly.  
  
Kaori flipped a few pages, "We're still working on growing the cloned tissue, but the technicians are optimistic." She hesitated, "Are you sure you wanted to use cell samples from...."  
  
"My daughter?" Tomoe turned slightly to look at her, and Kaori took a half step backward. He was smiling, but it wasn't a pleasant expression as he said firmly, "There is little enough of my daughter in the world."  
  
"Yes, Sir," Kaori answered softly.  
  
Tomoe turned to look out at the city again, "And the prototypes, Uranus and Neptune?"  
  
"Still missing," Kaori admitted, "our internal security forces are insufficient. If we could call in the AD Police via some cover story...?"  
  
"No," Tomoe shook his head, "we cannot risk our competitors discovering them."  
  
To be continued... 


	3. 3

Part Three  
  
The bar was seedy, in what was clearly in the bad part of town, the street people's wary gazes turning to see as the car pulled up front. Ami Mizuno strode down the steps to the club steadily, her manner supremely confident in her stylish suit. Sunglasses concealed her eyes even in the darkness, hiding her scanning glance as she entered the room.  
  
The music from the jukebox was old, dating back nearly twenty years. The men and women sitting at the tables looked up at her cautiously, then returned to their drinks and conversation. Ami walked to the bar, catching the attention of the bartender.  
  
"What'll it be?" he asked gruffly.  
  
"Bourbon, neat," Ami ordered crisply, setting a bill on the counter. She picked up her drink and moved over to a clear part of the bar, leaving her change behind.  
  
"Good evening," the woman noted as she sat down beside Ami. Her long mane of black hair flowed over her shoulders, shining green in the dim light.  
  
"Setsuna," Ami nodded. She smiled wryly as she took another look around, "You know, this is almost the stereotype for the sort of place to hold a secret meeting."  
  
Setsuna Meiou flashed a sudden smile, "I know, that's why I chose it." More seriously she said, "Did the information I gathered for you on Rei Hino help?"  
  
"You were right on the money," Ami agreed. She casually slipped a bundle of cash, setting it down between them so Setsuna could pick it up. "I'd love to know where a private investigator acquired her psychological profile," Ami said leadingly.  
  
"Prof. Tomoe, actually," Setsuna's eyes were dark with anger, "it seems he had profiles done on Rei and her grandfather, before they moved against them."  
  
Ami nodded, "And how are your two charges?"  
  
"Growing up," Setsuna admitted. She swirled her own drink around before admitting, "I've pretty much had to give up on keeping them confined."  
  
Ami nodded, "Just remind them to be discrete, please. I'd like to ensure that the Infinity Organization doesn't get their hands on them."  
  
"I'll do my best," Setsuna nodded firmly. She got up from her seat, "I'd better go, it's not a good idea for you to be seen with a disreputable private investigator like myself."  
  
"Be careful," Ami reminded her softly.  
  
"You, too," Setsuna said as she strode away.  
  
Ami finished off her drink, giving Setsuna the time to put some distance between them. It bothered her at times, how little she knew about her. An acquaintance of her mother's, all those years ago, she had come back into Ami's life when she had first begun organizing the Senshi Sabers. Information of many kinds, some that Ami suspected she acquired illegally, she gave it to Ami as needed. But Setsuna's own motives remained unclear.  
  
'One of these days I'm going to have to ask her,' Ami thought as she left the bar, rising up to the street, 'even if I don't like the answer.' She unlocked her car and slipped behind the wheel, starting it up and pulling out onto the road before any opportunistic vermin could act.  
  
Ami tried to focus on the question of Setsuna, but instead another face materialized before her mind's eye. 'Rei Hino,' she thought uncomfortably, 'why did I react that way?' Ami prided herself on her self control, but last night in the changing room she had nearly....  
  
"A momentary lapse," Ami murmured to herself aloud, "nothing more." Still, she couldn't quite convince herself of that. 'So now we are four,' she mused, navigating through traffic smoothly. Four agents seemed to be the best number for a semi-covert group, though she was prepared to build other suits if needed.  
  
She came around the corner to the Silky Doll and Ami sighed softly. It really was a unlikely business for her to run, but it was a nearly perfect cover. Even better it encouraged those who had been aquatinted with her and her mother to underestimate her. Ami activated the sliding door to her underground parking and pulled the car in.  
  
Ami got out of the car, pulling her coat off and slinging it over her shoulder as she walked to the elevator. "Mercury?" she called out.  
  
"Yes?" the feminine voice answered, "I was just running hardsuit diagnostics."  
  
"Are there any calls or messages?" Ami asked curiously, riding the elevator up past the store level to her home.  
  
"Minako called," Mercury reported, "she's setting up a worm to remove any data on the latest Senshi Sabers activity. Also, it appears the Infinity Organization is continuing to suppress information on any Bio- Boomer rogues."  
  
"No messages from Rei Hino?" Ami asked curiously.  
  
"No ma'am," Mercury answered.  
  
Ami frowned to herself thoughtfully as she exited into her living room, wondering what Rei might be doing right now....  
  
Rei Hino sat back, looking at the library computer with a fierce frown. She had gone in there that morning with a request in mind, trying to find any information on the Senshi Sabers. So far, she was tough out of luck.  
  
"Nothing in the newspapers for the past few months," Rei muttered to herself softly. Despite her participating in a battle against a Bio-Boomer just last night, there was absolutely nothing in the papers. In fact, they didn't even cover the fact Bio-Boomers were going rogue!  
  
'Is Prof. Tomoe that powerful?' Rei mused as she walked away from the computer. She gave the librarian a nod as she walked out on the street, 'I can't believe that even the Infinity Organization could keep every newspaper and TV station under wraps.'  
  
Then again, the Infinity Organization was the largest employer in the city Megatokyo, hands down. It really wasn't too surprising that they would have influence, power of various types. Most politicians knew which side their bread was buttered on, they knew that angering a prime campaign supporter would not be a very good idea.  
  
"Spineless bastards," Rei muttered, startling a passerby. She looked around her curiously, then her eyes widened as she recognized another landmark.  
  
The AD Police tower rose up towards the sky, the name of the organization boldly written down the side. One of their tactical 'copters rose from the roof to go out on patrol even as people went in and out of the building's main entrance. 'If anyone would know,' Rei had to admit it, 'they would.'  
  
"Hey!" a woman's voice cried out.  
  
Rei turned, feeling a flash of anger. The blonde haired, blue eyed woman was walking towards Rei, dressed in casual pants and white shirt, a heavy black jacket over top carrying the AD Police logo. "Yes?" Rei asked her coolly, wondering who she was.  
  
"You're Rei Hino, the singer," the blonde said, her long hair falling in twin streams from two buns on the top of her head. She smiled happily, "I saw you at the Hot Legs show a few nights ago, you were great!"  
  
Rei felt an odd bit of relief at that. She had tangled with the police more than once after her grandfather's death, and wondered if that trouble had caught up with her. "Thank you," Rei murmured as she started to walk, "and you are?"  
  
"Usagi Tsukino," the blonde said with a grin. She looked at Rei cautiously, "I was wondering, are you busy? I'd love to take you out for lunch."  
  
"No thanks," Rei said coolly.  
  
"Aw come on...," Usagi kept up with her, a bounce to her step.  
  
Rei shot her a look, "Maybe you should spend your time chasing Bio- Boomers, not skirts."  
  
"Ow," Usagi stopped and watched Rei walk away.  
  
A shorter, brown haired young woman walked up to her side, looking over towards Rei. "Well isn't she butch," Naru muttered, the officer dressed semi-formally.  
  
"Naru," Usagi frowned. They walked towards their cruiser, "Still, she was cute."  
  
Rei walked up the steps into AD Police headquarters, looking around her curiously. 'Wonder how I'd go about asking about the Senshi Sabers?' she mused. She walked towards the officer at the front desk, slowing down a bit in surprise.  
  
"It's nice to see you again," Minako Aino beamed at Rei, long blonde hair flowing down her back like a cape.  
  
"You're... a police officer?" Rei blinked.  
  
"You look confused," Minako said gently. "Let me get my replacement up here," she spoke into the headset that she wore, "and we'll talk."  
  
To be continued... 


	4. 4

Part Four  
  
"So you're Minako Aino," Rei mused, the two of them sitting at an out door cafe not far from AD Police headquarters. Her jacket was hung on her seat, Rei looking over at Minako thoughtfully, "Weren't you once a costumed idol star under the name Sailor V?"  
  
"I'm impressed you'd remember," Minako noted, the blue eyed blonde smiling in pleased surprise, "I wasn't around for all that long."  
  
"I'm a performer," Rei shrugged before adding, "and I was a fan, too." The black haired woman looked at her thoughtfully, "I always wondered why you retired...?"  
  
Minako sipped at her coffee, "A scandal forced me to retire." Before Rei could ask she added, "One that was manufactured by the Infinity Corporation. I was dumb enough to speak out publicly when they were pushing for mass-production of the Bio-boomer."  
  
Rei sighed softly, "I'm sorry. I remember the media circus around you then, but I never knew exactly why it happened."  
  
"So," Minako looked at her curiously, "what brought you into AD Police headquarters?"  
  
"I was going to try asking about the Senshi Sabers," Rei admitted a bit sheepishly. "I tried going through the newspapers but couldn't find a trace."  
  
"Infinity exerts a lot of pressure on the news media," Minako noted,. "they own most of the companies that buy advertising these days."  
  
"I couldn't believe I didn't find anything on a 'net search," Rei sighed.  
  
"Well, that is our fault, or more exactly my fault," Minako conceded. She smiled slightly, "I'm something of a computer expert and I sent out a virus to delete or destroy any data collected on the Senshi Sabers or our activities."  
  
"And as an officer in the AD Police you can do the same from within their own organization," Rei murmured.  
  
"Exactly," Minako agreed. She looked at Rei thoughtfully, "If it's not too personal, what's your reason for joining?"  
  
Rei felt her face stiffen. She grabbed her coat and stood as she said, "Yes, it's too personal." She took a few steps before her good manners forced her to stop, "Thanks for the information." With that, she was out the door and gone.  
  
"Interesting," Minako murmured, "very interesting." She pulled her phone from her pocket, hitting speed dial. "Ami?" she asked once it picked up.  
  
Ami Mizuno smiled slightly, "Minako, what can I do for you?"  
  
"You were wondering about our new recruit?" Minako asked back. "I just finished talking to her, she's a little touchy but interesting."  
  
"And how did you meet?" Ami asked.  
  
"She went walking into AD Police," Minako said dryly.  
  
Ami sat up, a frown on her face. "She wasn't going to compromise our security?" she asked, her voice hard and dangerous.  
  
"No, no," Minako quickly reassured her, "she was just looking for information. She was looking into the Bio-boomers and our own organization."  
  
"Understandable," Ami sat back. "Did you satisfy her curiosity?" she asked.  
  
"Somewhat," Minako said unapologetically, "I asked her about her reason's for joining up and she left in a huff."  
  
"No, I won't tell you," Ami anticipated the question quite easily. She paused, knowing how curious the woman could get and smoothly added, "But you can probably find out by going into the newspaper archives."  
  
"Got it," Minako laughed and signed off.  
  
Ami put the phone down, a slight smile on her face. She got up from her seat, moving into her bedroom while pulling off her business wear. She changed to casual sweats and a T-shirt, pulling her runners on. She walked downstairs, pausing in the doorway.  
  
"Mercury?" Ami asked.  
  
"Yes Ms. Mizuno?" the computer's clear voice replied.  
  
"Standard security measures," Ami instructed, "I'm going out for a few hours."  
  
"Of course, Ma'am," Mercury answered simply.  
  
Ami cut through the Silky Doll store, nodding to her two sales ladies, then went out onto the street. Vehicles moved up and down the street as she strode along, the presence of the smaller woman moving people aside. She reached the small dojo in only a few minutes, entering to find the place mostly deserted.  
  
"Hello Ami," Makoto smiled. A student was rubbing her shoulder as if it pained her, exchanging quiet words with Makoto before she left.  
  
"Getting rough with the students again?" Ami asked with a smile.  
  
"They expect it from me," Makoto said. The tall brown haired woman shrugged wryly, "If they didn't they'd think I was going too easy on them."  
  
"I suppose so," Ami agreed.  
  
Makoto looked her over thoughtfully, standing there all in white. "What sort of workout were you looking for?" she asked.  
  
"No visible marks," Ami admitted with a slight smile, "but I could use a good workout. There's a lot of things I'm thinking about."  
  
"Got it," Makoto raised her hands, waiting until Ami took up a guard position.  
  
Together they fought back and forth across the bare floor, the ritual movements of combat becoming a graceful dance. Ami was less powerful than Makoto but she made up for it with speed and agility, the two women nearly matched in skill.  
  
Ami was panting softly when they finally slid to a stop, but there was a brightness to her blue eyes. "You should be competing, still," she said.  
  
"So should you," Makoto offered with a smile.  
  
"No, I can't," Ami answered seriously, "I won't risk compromising my cover."  
  
"I'm not going back into the ring," Makoto said with a casual smile, the danger all in the undercurrents, "not until I find out who tried to kill me by setting me up against a Bio-boomer."  
  
"Considering that you were able to destroy it with your bare hands," Ami noted, "that made your reputation."  
  
"There is that," Makoto flashed a smile. She looked at Ami thoughtfully, "Did you finally hear back from our Ms. Hino?"  
  
"Not directly," Ami said calmly, "but I suspect it might be better to give her some space."  
  
The sun was just setting over the city, and in a club called Hot Legs the band was rocking the house. Rei stood on center stage, voice whisky raw and passionate as she threw out a challenge to the world. Her defiant stance called out for battle, the songs she chose about rebellion and heroism.  
  
Rei covertly scanned the crowd, trying to see if Ami Mizuno was lurking somewhere in the dark corners. It was a busy night, the people dancing and cheering loudly, but her eyes were drawn to an odd couple. He was slim, sandy brown hair falling into his face while his partner was green haired, the two dancing close to the music.  
  
Rei changed, pulling her trashy stage outfit off before heading to the bar for a free beer. "Thanks," she nodded to Mamoru the bartender, turning back to look at the women approaching.  
  
"That was incredible," the sandy haired young man smiled. Rei's eyes widened as she got a good look, realizing that he was really a she.  
  
"You have a remarkable presence up on stage, Ms. Hino," the green haired young woman smiled warmly.  
  
"Thank you," Rei took a pull off her bottle of beer. She gave the two women a slight smile, "You have the advantage of me...."  
  
"Tenoh Haruka," the boyish young woman smiled. She gestured to her partner, her voice softening as she added, "And this is Kaoru Michiru."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Rei said with a wry smile. She took in the odd vibe between them and asked curiously, "You girlfriends?"  
  
"You could say that," Michiru smiled.  
  
"Congratulations," Rei took another drink, for a moment thinking about Ami.  
  
To be continued.... 


	5. 5

Part Five  
  
"Is there something I can do for you, officer Tsukino?" the redhead asked, the two women standing there in the battered administrator's office. The building was a shambles, damage throughout, and etched into the floor was the name 'Senshi Sabers.' Kaori looked irritable adding, "I certainly don't recall calling in the AD Police."  
  
Usagi Tsukino looked over at her thoughtfully, her long blonde hair flowing down her back in twin streams. "You know we're authorized to look into any bio-boomer incidents," she said mildly, sliding down her black sunglasses to look at the executive.  
  
Kaori narrowed her eyes and visibly restrained herself. "You're welcome to look around," she finally said, "though I suspect you'll get a call from your superiors asking you to leave." With that she turned and strode away, already talking on her cellphone.  
  
"She's probably right you know," Naru commented, the brown haired smaller officer looking around curiously. She smiled as she looked up at Usagi, "Why do you so like to push your luck with the Infinity Organization?"  
  
Usagi smiled grimly, blue eyes flashing as she said, "You mean beside the fact that they're hiding the real number of bio-boomer rampages?"  
  
"Other than that, yes," Naru said.  
  
Usagi looked towards where Kaori had walked off, her gaze thoughtful. "Something else stinks here," she finally said, "they're hiding something, something bad."  
  
Naru sighed, deciding not to press the issue. "So the Senshi Sabers struck again last night," she said, looking around the facility.  
  
"A manufacturing type bio-boomer went rogue," Usagi said grimly, "killed a human worker and absorbed another person before the Senshi arrived."  
  
Naru winced visibly, "Did the person survive?"  
  
Usagi shook her head, "They killed the bio-boomer without hurting him directly, but his system had been too badly infiltrated by the bio-boomer. He died on the way to hospital." Softly she added, "The leader of the Senshi was the one that killed it."  
  
"I don't envy her," Naru sighed.  
  
Usagi nodded slightly. There were situations as AD Police where people could be hurt, even killed by their actions, and she had to accept that. Still, she didn't want to imagine facing those kind of situations as some kind of lone wolf operative.  
  
Naru saw Kaori striding towards them with a satisfied look on her face even as Usagi's phone rang. "Want to bet that's our recall?" Naru commented.  
  
"I don't take fool' bets," Usagi said as she answered the phone. She spoke softly with the Chief a few moments then slid the phone away.  
  
"I take it you'll be leaving?" Kaori said with a smug little smile on her face.  
  
"For now," Usagi agreed. She slid her sunglasses back in place as she continued, "But I'm going to be keeping an eye on you. no matter what sort of strings you can pull." With that Usagi and Naru left the gutted offices, leaving Kaori standing there in the rubble.  
  
"Damn it," Kaori finally muttered to herself, walking out to watch them leave in their AD Police squad car. She dialed her cellphone once again, waiting a moment for it to pick up before saying, "Sir, we may have as problem."  
  
The Tower complex of the Infinity Organization gleamed in the sun, looking like some monument to progress. The office was near the very top of the structure, providing a view of much of the city of Megatokyo.  
  
Prof. Tomoe ignored the city, listening to Kaori and nodding slightly. "Officer Tsukino," he murmured, "is an annoyance, at best. She is regarded as a maverick by her fellows and can be dealt with if needed." His voice sharpened, "Are you certain that the Senshi's arrival at that facility was purely a coincidence?"  
  
"The parts that the factory was creating for the Saturn project shipped out weeks ago," Kaori said firmly, "they're no reason to believe that the Senshi know anything."  
  
Prof. Tomoe nodded, but he didn't look quite convinced. "Sterilize the area," he instructed, "while the company deals with the media."  
  
"And what about the man who died?" Kaori asked. She paused, "Should we use the standard industrial accident story?"  
  
"See to it," and with that Prof. Tomoe disconnected.  
  
The office was only lightly decorated, much like that of any executive. A few images were up on the walls, a few statues were placed around, but other than that the place was oddly bare. The desk, obsidian black and polished smooth, carried only one personal decoration, a photograph in a simple, old fashioned frame.  
  
"Hotaru," Professor Tomoe sighed, picking up the frame sadly, gazing at the image. The girl's hair was black as a raven's wing but oddly tinged by a bit of purple, a shade similar to her dark eyes. She had a pretty face, one slightly aged by pain, her skin unnaturally pale. She was so delicate, so frail that it almost looked like she would break.  
  
Hotaru Tomoe had been born with an incurable illness, the damage having been done to her very DNA. The accident that poisoned her mother to death would kill Hotaru, too, unless he acted. A advanced biologist before the illness he became a driven man, a leader in his field. Gathering the best scientists in the world he sought a way to create an artificial form for Hotaru, a body to replace the degrading form the girl was born in. Painful, difficult treatments kept her alive while he worked, but in the end it had all been in vain.  
  
"Damn it," Tomoe muttered, putting the photo down. The bio-boomer had debuted days before she finally died, the firs step to her new form. Still, he had taken steps.  
  
From a drawer in the desk he pulled out a clear vial filled with blood, right beside it a high density data storage cube. On Hotaru's deathbed he had taken those blood and tissue samples, then used surgical probes to connect her brain to the computers. He mapped the data and emotive responses, the lifetime's information and stored it, the sum total of his daughter's self. She would live again, if only in an artificial body.  
  
Tomoe picked up the phone, dialing the number from memory. "What's the status of the Saturn project?" he asked crisply.  
  
"The body is fully grown," the technician who answered said firmly, then somewhat more tentatively asked, "Are you certain that you want to perform the data download? We can't be certain how the systems will be effected."  
  
"Good," Professor Tomoe said simply, ignoring the question.  
  
It was only a few hours later that Tomoe stood in a private lab, one that had been cleared of all other personnel. Powerful computers lined one wall while a variety of bio-technological samples floated in preservative fluid. Internal cybernetic structures of bio-boomers were partially assembled or modified, changed for unknown purposes.  
  
The woman lay on the table, cold and lifeless. Her skin was healthy, the dark hair flowing around her face, eyes closed as if from sleep. The flesh was full, the body developed like that of a teenager, and if she was capable of modesty she might have covered herself. Connections came from the scalp over to a modified computer, the data module connected and ready.  
  
Tomoe reached to a table nearby, picking up a crystalline module that glowed slightly in the darkness. He brought his hand to her abdomen and pressed, the crystal sinking into her skin and flesh. Hand buried he felt around, the crystal sliding into place with a audible click. He pulled his hand free, toweling away the greenish internal fluids as he studied her, watching her chest begin to rise and fall with her breathing.  
  
"It's time," Tomoe finally said, activating the data module.  
  
It took a second, no more, then Hotaru's form went rigid. Beneath her eyelids her eyes jerked back and forth rapidly, information streaming into the blank tissues of the artificially created brain. Then as fast as it started it stopped, the girl's breaths coming faster as she lay there almost unnaturally still. Suddenly, her eyes popped open!  
  
"Hotaru?" Tomoe asked tentatively, gazing at his creation in awe.  
  
She sat up, Hotaru reaching up to feel the connections on her head to the computers. "Father," she murmured, "you kept people from knowing about my death, even made me your heir."  
  
Tomoe blinked, "How...?"  
  
"I'm still connected to the computers," Hotaru said as she unplugged herself, "a data search was easy." She moved, gazing down at her healthy form as she murmured, "Thank you."  
  
"It's the least I can do," Tomoe blinked as she reached out to put a hand on his cheek, "you're my beloved daughter."  
  
Hotaru cupped his head in her hands, looking into his eyes. "I hated you," she said simply, "you kept me alive in a diseased, dying body for so long. Every day was filled with pain," her voice had dropped to a whisper, "only to be relieved by death."  
  
CRACK!  
  
The body slid to the floor, the neck cleanly broken by a strength that was clearly inhuman. Hotaru gazed at him silently a moment then picked up his lab coat, sliding it around her shoulders as she considered what she would do now.  
  
To be continued.... 


	6. 6

Part Six  
  
Rei Hino got up from her bed, pushing the messy covers aside as the black haired young woman grumpily greeted the day. "Are you planning on staying in bed all day?" the panty and bra clad woman turned back to the figure who was still laying in the bed.  
  
He sat up, short black hair falling down into his eyes and a slight smile on his face. "I was thinking we could....." Mamoru said.  
  
"I'm busy," Rei shook her head firmly, "and have things to do today."  
  
Mamoru got out of bed reluctantly, giving Rei a thoughtful look. "I was really surprised when you invited me here with you," he said.  
  
"Don't expect it to happen again," Rei answered him crisply, looking out the window at the sunlight streaming between the buildings, "I'm not the settling down type."  
  
"I guess not," Mamoru said with a little frown. He dressed pretty quickly, the black pants and T-shirt tight on the handsome young bartender, and then he walked over to where Rei stood to try and give her a goodbye kiss.  
  
Rei fended him off as she said, "Go get some mouthwash, your breath stinks."  
  
Mamoru's face went ice cold at that comment. "Whatever," he scowled, loudly slamming shut the door to Rei's old trailer as he left. The motorcycle that he rode in on rumbled to life and he drove by her window, his face pinched.  
  
'That's the last time I bring someone home with me on impulse,' Rei thought glumly, stumbling into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She emerged after a quick shower, feeling oddly relieved to have his scent off of her body.  
  
Thump! The newspaper hit her front door and Rei smiled to herself wryly as she opened it up. She could always get the paper off of the computers but she liked holding the sheets in her hands, the scent and texture of the news part of her morning. She unfolded it to get a good look at the front page then froze in shock.  
  
"Head of Infinity Corporation dead," Rei read the shocking headline aloud, "city's noted benefactor dies of natural causes." She shook her head, trying to process the information as she muttered, "What the hell is going on?"  
  
The phone rang out into the silence and Rei swore softly. She set the paper down and picked up the phone to hear a familiar voice say, "Rei, it's Ami."  
  
"You've seen the paper this morning?" Rei asked, trying to decide if she felt happy or sad about the news. A bit of both emotions, including some disapointment that she hadn't been the one to snuff the old man.  
  
"Exactly why I'm calling," Ami answered her smoothly, "we're having a meeting today, as soon as humanly possible."  
  
Rei raised her eyebrows at the tension in the woman's voice. "I thought you'd be happy to see something like this happen," she said.  
  
"There are things about this that haven't been reported in the papers," Ami said, "something I can't talk about over an unsecured line. How fast can you get to the Silky Doll?"  
  
"Thirty minutes if I ignore traffic regs," Rei answered.  
  
"Don't get caught," and with that Ami hung up.  
  
Rei dropped the paper, sheets fluttering around her as she hurried to grab her clothes. She pulled the nearest items she could off of the floor, glad to see they didn't smell too bad. Her jacket was slung over a chair and a moment's looking found her boots over by the TV. Dressed she bolted outside, climbing onto her motorbike and rumbling off down the street.  
  
Rei was well over the speed limit as she ran through the outskirts of megatokyo, eyes wary as she lept an look out for AD Police or any other cops. Once she got into the city itself she used the backroads, dodging traffic and smoothly making her way to the bad part of town, leaving it before eventually pulling up to a tall office building.  
  
The first floor was fully occupied by a business, the Silky Doll. Beautiful young women went in and out, carrying packages containing some very revealing underwear and fine clothing. Rei had to grin, thinking this was the least likely job to find Ami Mizuno involved in.  
  
'Probably why it''s such a good cover,' Rei thought as she parked her bike. She walked in the front door, recognizing the young woman who worked one of the counters from a previous visit. "Hi Catsy," Rei waved.  
  
Catsy grinned, her purple hair making her look like her namesake, "Hey, Rei." She and her four sisters worked here for Ami, handling the day to day operations of the shop. She dropped her voice, "Here to see Ami? She's not in a good mood."  
  
"How bad?" Rei asked curiously.  
  
"She has this ice queen mode," Catsy leaned over to confide, "I think it's actually worse than when she's really pissed off."  
  
"Catsy," Birdie called, her blue hair falling down her back in a braid as she smiled at the three women around her, "I could use some help,"  
  
"Right," Catsy called back. She gave Rei an apologetic look, "You'd better head on up, don't want to keep Ms. Mizuno waiting."  
  
"Got it," Rei smiled. She headed to the rear of the shop, using the key-card to open the door and stepped inside. She swiped the card to access the upper floors and rose quickly, a soft bell anouncing her arrival in the resident level.  
  
"It only took you twenty-five minutes," Ami noted, her short dark blue hair falling into her eyes, "I'm impressed." She stood rigid by the closed window, her back ramrod straight and there was a dangerous look in her eye.  
  
Rei looked at her warily as she pulled her jacket off, "What about this has you so bothered? I thought you'd be happy to see Tomoe dead."  
  
Ami's lips went white as she pressed them together. "The situation is somewhat more complicated that that," she answered.  
  
"What do you mean?" Rei frowned.  
  
Ami shook her head firmly no and said, "I want the others here first so I can explain it all at one time." A sigh, "I hate repeating myself."  
  
"Great," Rei sighed, "I bust my butt to get here fast only to have to wait."  
  
That actually brought a slight smile to Ami's face. "My heart bleeds," she murmured softly. She looked over at Rei and said, "Do you want some coffee or something else to drink?"  
  
"Coffee," Rei rubbed at her eyes as her concert and the night with Mamoru began to catch up with her, "it was a very long night."  
  
"Mercury," Ami looked up, almost as if she was talking to the air, "a pot of coffee and five cups, please."  
  
"Yes ma'am," the warm female voice replied before asking, "Would you like me to make is strong, Miss Hino?"  
  
"Ah, yes please." Rei blinked, looking around in confusion.  
  
"It will be ready in five minutes," Mercury concluded.  
  
"Who was that?" Rei blinked as she looked up at Ami in surprise.  
  
"Mercury is the computer system that helps run my home and the underground facilities we use," Ami explained, "I inherited her, more or less, from my mother."  
  
"Her?" Rei raised an eyebrow.  
  
Ami shrugged, "The voice and persona seem to be female based so...."  
  
A few moments later a motorized cart rolled inside carrying the pot of coffee and Minako and Makoto trailed in right behind it, the two seemingly following the enticing scent of strong coffee. Minako was a bit rumpled looking as if the blonde was wearing the clothes from the day before while Makoto looked crisp and neat.  
  
"What took you so long?" Rei smirked.  
  
"Ami you're timing stinks," Minako complained good naturedly, flopping down in a seat beside Makoto, both of them eagerly pouring coffee.  
  
"We're all here," Rei said impatiently, "start talking."  
  
"Not quite all," Ami nodded to the door that swished open. The taller woman studied them thoughtfully, her greenish black hair flowing down her back in a wave. "Rei, Minako, Makoto I'd like you to meet Setsuna Meiou," Ami introduced her.  
  
"I've heard a lot about you," Setsuna said softly, "and I wish this meeting could be under better circumstances. You see," she took a deep breath, "Prof. Tomoe was murdered by his own creation, the super Bio-boomer called Saturn."  
  
To be continued.... 


	7. 7

Part Seven

"We're all here," Rei said impatiently, the black haired young woman's eyes flashing as she met Ami's eyes, "start talking."

"Rei," Minako chided her, the blonde smiling slightly in amusement, Makoto sitting on the couch beside her.

"Not quite all," Ami calmly answered Rei as she nodded towards the door that swished open. The taller woman standing there studied them all thoughtfully, her greenish black hair flowing down her back in a wave. "Rei, Minako, Makoto I'd like you to meet Setsuna Meiou," Ami introduced her, fighting back a slight smile.

"I've heard a lot about you," Setsuna said to them softly, "and I wish this meeting could be under better circumstances. You see," she took a deep breath, "Prof. Tomoe was murdered by his own creation, the super Bio-boomer called Saturn."

There was a long beat of dead silence then Minako sat up in surprise, "What?!"

"And how, exactly, do you know this?" Rei asked, narrowing her eyes.

Ami calmly hit a switch, calling up the information released in the news. "While the Infinity Corporation says Tomoe's death was an accident," she said, "files that Setsuna has acquired from the AD Police say something entirely different."

"I can't say where I got the information," Setsuna said to them firmly, the stylish business suit that she wore hugging her form, "but the evidence suggests that his neck was broken deliberately, not in an industrial accident or Bio-boomer test.."

"So why haven't the police made any announcement?" Makoko asked, the intense martial artist running a tired hand through her brown hair.

"The officers involved are likely under pressure to wrap this up neatly," Rei offered with a cynical look, "with the pull Infinity has their bosses are probably eager to obey."

"It's not quite that bad," Minako frowned over at Rei as she spoke up for her fellow officers in the AD Police but Rei just ignored her.

Ami ignored the side comments, "To make things even more confusing there's the whole situation around Hotaru Tomoe."

Setsuna spoke up as the two of them had discussed earlier, "Despite the fact that Tomoe's grieving daughter has taken over Infinity, medical records that Mercury helped acquire show that she died a few years ago."

There was another moment of silence. "To make things even more interesting," Ami said with a ghost of a smile, "those records mysteriously disappeared shortly after we accessed them. Someone is systematically destroying all of the evidence that Hotaru died."

Rei put the pieces together remarkably quickly. "This super Bio-boomer Saturn," she asked with a frown, "it's the one posing as Hotaru?"

"Exactly," Ami nodded.

Makoko leaned forward, only slightly wrinkling her crisply neat clothes. "This super Bio-boomer," she asked tentatively, "what is it capable of?"

"We don't entirely know," Setsuna fielded that question, "but information we acquired from within Infinity shows that they built it for immense strength and speed as well as with some non-standard internal weapons."

"More importantly," Rei surprised them by getting up, walking over to where she had hung up her jacket as she continued, "why should we care?"

"What do you mean?" Minako asked.

Rei pulled on her jacket, her face grave. "We all know Professor Tomoe was a murderer," she said, "he killed Ami's mother and my Grandfather. If this Saturn did kill him, more power to her." With that she walked to the door.

"We have no idea what her intentions are," Ami protested, feeling her control over the meeting quickly slipping away from her.

"Maybe," Rei smiled slightly as she said, "but we don't know her intentions are bad." She paused at the doorway, "Unless you have some other information?"

"No," Ami had to concede.

"I'd have happily killed Tomoe myself," Rei said softly, "I'm not about to condemn Saturn for it." With that she was out the door and gone.

"She does have a point," Makoto said.

"I'm not condoning murder," Minako shook her head, "I'm with Ami on this one. Tomoe should have been brought to justice, not killed."

"This meeting is over," Ami finally said softly.

"Ami?" Setsuna looked over at her in surprise.

"Rei is right about one thing," Ami admitted, "we don't know Saturn's intentions, and until we do we can't put together a real strategy."

Minako looked over at Ami worriedly as she and Makoto both got up from their seats, too. "Do you want me to look into any information on the murder that's in the AD Police computer system?" she asked her curiously.

"Please," Ami answered with a tired smile. The two young women left the room, leaving Ami and Setsuna alone together. The blue haired young woman walked over to a seat and flopped down, sighing to herself softly.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone take the wind from your sails so quickly," Setsuna commented with a smile, sitting down beside her.

Ami gave her a pained look, "I jumped the gun, I think."

"Rei is almost exactly as I had expected," Setsuna admitted. She looked at Ami thoughtfully, "Do you regret recruiting her?"

Ami flashed a smile, "You know, I don't think so." She leaned her head back against the chair, "How are Haruka and Michiru developing?"

"Fairly well," Setsuna said. She raised an eyebrow slightly, "Are you expecting we'll have to ask them to become involved?"

"I hope not," Ami answered honestly, "but it's best to be prepared."

"They were the prototypes for Saturn," Setsuna cautioned her, "but they don't have the same capabilities. I can't guarantee how well they'll do against her."

"And the hardsuits?" Ami asked.

"I don't know," Setsuna admitted, "we don't have complete data on what Saturn can do. I think we can hold our own, but...."

"We?" Ami raised an eyebrow, "I don't remember agreeing to let you help us fight Saturn, assuming we even do."

"I have just as much of a stake in this as you or any of the others do," was Setsuna's calmly delivered answer.

Ami hesitated, "I've never chosen to ask you certain things because I respect your need to keep those boundaries, Setsuna."

"But you want to know now," Setsuna said. She closed her eyes for a moment, "What you may not realize is the Uranus, Neptune and Saturn were all based on an earlier design, one of your mother's final creations."

"My mother created a Super Bio-boomer?" Ami's eyes were wide with surprise.

"Dr. Mizuno didn't call her that," Setsuna answered her mildly, "at first she was referred to as test model Pluto and later... she gave me the name Setsuna."

"Of course," Ami murmured after a few seconds of shocked silence, "you're very convincing, you know. At being a human, I mean."

"I am human," Setsuna answered calmly, "or at least much more so than any of the original series of Bio-boomers."

Ami noticed Setsuna hesitate and studied the other woman thoughtfully. "There's something else, isn't there?" she asked.

She just nodded. Setsuna took a deep breath, "When the doctor created me she used a sample of her DNA along with a scan of her own brain patterns."

"Does that mean you're...." Ami trailed off uncomfortably.

"No I'm not your mother," Setsuna shook her head slightly, "but it was the base of what would eventually become my own personality."

Ami got up, walking across the room to look out a window silently. "I'm sorry," she managed after a few moments, "but this is a lot to take in right now."

"I wanted to tell you earlier," Setsuna rose, putting her hands in her pocket as she continued, "but it never seemed like the right time."

"Thank you," Ami puffed out a sigh.

"I think I should leave you alone," Setsuna walked over to the door, "contact me if you need anything. please. Or if you feel it's time to make a move with Saturn." With that the door opened and she moved out into the hallway.

Ami nodded as she called after her, "I'll do that."

To be continued....


	8. 8

Part Eight

Minako Aino reported in for work as usual, waving to friends as she went over to her station and logged in. The blonde pushed her hair back as she slid her earpiece on, calling up files from her absence and swiftly scanning them for information.

"No, I am not letting this go," the woman sounded angry, and Minako looked up in time to see Usagi Tsukino barge out of the chief's office.

Haruna Sakurada followed Usagi out, her brown hair tied back roughly. The older woman looked clearly furious as she said, "You are not authorized to investigate the Tomoe case, keep your nose out of it!

"This whole thing stinks, ma'am," Usagi answered coldly.

Haruna gentled her voice, "The case is being investigated by the regular police, it's been taken out of our hands." A bit more firmly she continued, "I'll put you on suspension if I have to."

Usagi stood there in the middle of the station, meeting the chief's eyes. "So how much did it cost for Infinity to buy you?" she asked bitterly.

Haruna looked ready to strike her, she was that angry. "That's it," she bit out, "turn in your badge and gun, you're on suspension as of now."

In the shocked silence Usagi smoothly unclipped her badge, handing it over with her official identification and police issue gun. Without a word she turned, twin streamers of blonde hair swinging and strode away.

"What are you looking at?" Haruna glared around the room at the officers. She went back to her office as she added, "Get back to work."

'Well, isn't this interesting,' Minako mused, turning back to her keyboard, 'Usagi really pushed the boss' buttons this time.' She really didn't think that Haruna was on the take, but she was pretty certain people above the Chief were.

A flag was on one of Minako's warning systems and she accessed it smoothly. Someone from outside the AD Police had tried to access confidential personnel files along with information on their equipment and procedures. Even more unusual was that they had covered their tracks so well there were no sign of who, exactly, had done it.

'This is bad,' Minako thought, 'very bad.' She sorted out what had been copied even as she fielded her normal jobs, routing vehicles and staff to areas that they were needed. 'Whoever did this got almost a complete overview of AD Police,' she noted, 'just the sort of thing they'd need to take the entire organization apart.'

"Computer, outside line," Minako ordered softly, "code Mercury." The system dialed, scrambling the transmission as it did, and in seconds it was picked up. "Ami?" Minako asked simply.

"You don't normally call from work unless it's important," Ami Mizuno noted, and Minako could almost imagine the woman's curious expression.

"Two things," Minako said crisply as she worked, "the AD Police system was badly compromised last night, a massive amount of vital data was stolen."

"Damn," Ami murmured, her voice hushed as she quickly realized the implications. "And the other thing?" she asked.

"Usagi Tsukino has been suspended for trying to investigate the supposedly closed Tomoe murder case," Minako said, "she might just be a useful person to contact, if discretely."

"Any suggestions how?" Ami asked her curiously.

With some amusement Minako said, "Well, according to the department grapevine a certain singer named Rei Hino shot Usagi down recently...."

"There is no way in hell," Rei said firmly, the raven haired rocker standing in the middle of her messy trailer.

Makoto Kino sighed and ran a hand through her brown hair, wishing she hadn't been tapped for this. The martial artist didn't even really know Rei that well yet, and here she was asking the woman to go pump Usagi for information. "Officer Tsukino might have some information we need on Saturn," she said to her hopefully.

"I doubt she knows dick," Rei said to Makoto scornfully, thinking back to her earlier meeting with the woman.

Makoto chuckled softly at that, she couldn't help herself. She decided to shift tracks a moment as she took in the disaster are all around her. The floor was covered by dirty clothes, magazines, and over in one corner a motorbike, complete with plastic sheeting. "Does this room always look like this?" she asked.

"I cleaned up a bit before you came," Rei shrugged. She looked thoughtfully, "I noticed that Ami hasn't called me since I walked out of the meeting a few days ago... is she that upset with me?"

"I don't think so," Makoto shrugged slightly, "though Ami is notoriously hard to read. I think something else is keeping her pretty occupied."

"Saturn and the death of Prof. Tomoe," Rei made a face. "I wonder why she can't just chalk it up as one for the good guys and let it go?" she wondered.

Makoto studied Rei a moment, debating if she should tell her what she was about to say. "Revenge isn't Ami's only objective," she finally said, "it's much more complex than that. Her mother had certain plans, a dream for the Bio-boomers that Ami wants to fulfill."

"Plans like?" Rei blinked.

"I don't know everything but peaceful coexistence between humans and Bio-boomers, the chance for Bio-boomers to develop free will, all that sort of thing," Makoto shrugged.

"Assuming that Ami is right about Saturn," Rei noted as she flopped down into one chair, "I'd think that Hotaru would be all for that."

A great deal more tentatively Makoto cleared off a seat and sat down. "She's killed once," she reminded her, "and there's no reason she wouldn't do it again."

Rei raised her eyebrow in surprise, "I thought you agreed with me about Tomoe's death?"

"I do," Makoto said simply, "his death probably made the world a better place." She took a breath, "I just don't know if I trust Saturn to stop there."

Rei considered that for a few moments before she had to concede, "Point."

Getting back to the reason Makoto came here she said, "Look, just talk to Tsukino, all right? It may be a wild goose chase but she may know something useful."

Rei groaned but answered, "I'll think about it, all right?"

Kaori Knight paused in front of the door to the company's chief executive, taking a steadying breath, then knocked on it firmly. "Come in," the voice called out and the redhead went inside, quietly closing the door behind her.

Hotaru Tomoe stood by the window, gazing out at the city that stretched out around the Infinity tower. She was slim, the black clothes that she wore highlighting that slimness but there was an aura of strength about her as well. She turned to her guest and smiled, her violet eyes meeting Kaori's and seeming to hold them irresistibly.

"Ms. Tomoe," Kaori gulped, making herself walk forward as she asked, "I received a message you wanted to see me?"

"I've wanted to meet you for awhile," Hotaru said as she moved around the desk to offer her hand, "but I've been preoccupied by details left over from my father's unfortunate accident."

Kaori shook the offered hand without hesitation as she said, "It's entirely understandable, ma'am. I hope I can be as much help to you as I was to your father."

"I think you'll be more helpful, Kaori," Hotaru waved her towards a seat, "and I'd prefer if you called me Hotaru."

Kaori kept her surprise off her face by long practice as she answered, "Of course, Hotaru." Part of something the other woman said registered as she asked, "What did you mean, more helpful?"

"I'm promoting you, of course," Hotaru took her seat behind the desk, "to the company's executive director position." She gestured to files on the desk, "From what I've read you've been performing that role already for my father, I'm just formalizing it."

"Thank you very much," the stunned Kaori managed to answer.

"Don't thank me yet Kaori," Hotaru offered a gentle smile, "with the promotion comes more paper work and a larger workload."

Kaori sat up straight, "I think I can handle it ma'am... I mean, Hotaru."

"Good," Hotaru nodded firmly, "I have a vision of this company, of what it is and one day might become and I'll need help to accomplish that."

"Just tell me how I can help," Kaori answered.

"One of the first things we need to do is deal with Ami Mizuno," Hotaru said seriously, "and the vigilantes known as the Senshi Sabers."

To be continued....


	9. 9

Part Nine

The explosion lit up the night sky, a fireball rising up against the velvet blackness. "Damn it" Rei scowled, a thought and the tensing of muscles throwing the scarlet armored figure aside, barely avoiding being struck.

The Bio-boomer raced by, the artificial organic being blending with the structure of the sleek sports car. It almost looked like it was enjoying itself, raising it's manhgled face to the wind as it streaked down the crowded street.

"We need to catch up with that thing" Ami said crisply, her ice blue armor skimming on the ground via her boot jets"before someone get's hurt."

Makoto fell in beside her"We're not fast enough in just the armor, ma'am"

Above them, using her suit to bound from rooftop to rooftop, Minako kept track of their target. "It's still accellerating" she reported"probably overrrided the safety features on the car."

There was a sound, the squeal of tires and the sleek sportscar came around the corner to catch up with them, the opentop convertable gleaming glossy black. The sandy haired young woman caught up with the Senshi easily, eyes focused on the road even as she barked"Need a lift"

'Haruka Tenoh?' Rei thought in surprise, recognizing the young woman she had seen at one of her concerts not long ago. "Stay out of this, it's a dangerous situation" she said, hoping the vocal distorters in her armor were enough to disguise her voice.

"You shouldn't be here, Tenoh" Ami barked, her voice sounding somewhat stressed.

"You aren't going to catch this thing otherwise" Haruka shot back crisply"now are one of you getting on or not"

There wa a moment they considered, then Makoto used a burst of her bot thrusters to toss her up and down into the passenger seat. "Go" she said crisply and Haruka floored it, leaving Ami, Rei and Minako quickly behind them.

"Makoto's been hanging around you too long, Hino" Ami scowled as she tried to speed up.

"Hey, I resemble that remark" Rei shot back with a grin.

Haruka kept an eye on the slowly growing figure ahead of them, keeping a firm hand on the wheel as she did so. "Do you have a plan once we reach the Bio-boomer" she asked, swerving to dodge another vehicle.

"I'm going to have to jump aboard" Makoto said crisply.

"Nice plan" Haruka twisted the wheel to dodge an out of control motorbike. The distance was quickly closing between them and the car, the odd warping of the once sleek car by the Bio-boomer becoming more and more aparent.

Makoto slid to her feet, the green armored figure carefully watching the distance as Haruka brought them up alongside. She tensed her body, shifted forward, then leapt even as she activated her boot thrusters once again. With a loud crash she crossed the distance, slamming a arm through the glass of a window to get a grip.

The Bio-boomer twisted in it's perch to look down at Makoto, then caught a glance at Haruka. The boyish young woman narrowed her eyes, sparks rising around her, then unnoticed by Makoto a powerful surge of electricity leapt to strike it!

Makoto leavered herself up only to blink in surprise at how... disoriented the Bio-boomer looked, almost catatonic. Taking advantage she scrambled up towards the creature, tearing at the artificially engineered organics to wrap her hand around the heart crystal. Clenching her fist she crushed it,. the car suddenly slowing down before coasting to a stop.

"Makoto" Minako caught up in a few moments, the golden armored figure looking her over worriedly"Are you all right"

Makoto reached out to put her hand on her lovers armored arm"I'm fine, really."

Haruka's sports car had made a u-turn and returned, the sandy haired woman smiling a very self-satisfied smile. Ami seemed almost chillingly stiff as she said"That was a very foolish thing you just did, young lady."

"Seemed like the right thing to do at the time" she answered mildly. Haruka smiled slightly"Aren't I at least going to get a thank you from the infamous Senshi Sabers"

"I'll say thank you" Makoto said simply"I don't think our thrusters could make it."

"Not bad" Rei admitted with a smile.

Haruka started her car, smoothly puling out into traffic. She gave them a wave as she went"I'll see you again, ladies."

As sirens wailed in the distance they took off, returning to the modified Silky Doll van and heading back to base. Rei took her helm off, shaking her head to get sweaty hair away from her face"You were awfully hard on that kid, Ami."

Ami already had her helmet in her lap. her expression remote. "You have no idea how dangerous that girl's involvement was" she answered coldly.

Rei couldn't resist the flash of anger"Maybe I would understand if you'd actually break down and tell us some of the secrets you keep." At Ami's surprised look Rei smiled grimly"Yes, I know you've been holding things back."

"Information is need to know, only" Ami answered crisply as she moved towards the front of the van, leaving Rei behind her while pulling the rest of her armor off. 'She's more perceptive than I gave her credit for,' Ami admitted, 'I'll have to watch for that.'

Makoto Kino was comfortable behind the wheel, the brown haired amazon having stripped herself of her armor first so that she could drive. "Hey boss" she nodded as Ami sat beside her.

"It was foolish, bringing a civilian into our fight" Ami said crisply.

"It was also necessary" Makoto answered calmly"I didn't see any other way we were going to catch up with that thing."

Coldly Ami said"I had modules in the van to enhance our speed, we could have caught it..."

"And how much damage could that thing have gone and done while we were getting equipped" Makoto challenged Ami. She shook her head"No, I think that was our best choice, even if you don't want to admit it."

Ami sat back in her chair with a sigh. "Hino has deffinately been a bad influence on you" she muttered"you never gave me this much trouble before now."

"Maybe so" Makoto agreed"but is that really a bad thing"

Ami smiled reluctantly"Maybe not."

Rei kicked her helmet, bouncing it off the wall of the van. "Damn her" she growled out"condescending stuck up piece of..."

"You need to cut down on your caffine" Minako commented, the gorgeous blonde not even looking up from the game she was playing.

"It doesn't bother you that Ami's holding information back from us" Rei waved her arms angrily, eyes flashing.

"No" Minako answered simply.

"Why" Rei asked indignantly.

Reluctantly Minako put the game aside and looked up at Rei with a smile. "Because" she explained patiently"while Ami holds certain things back, she also will give us the information we need when we really need it."

"You trust her" Rei realized.

Minako nodded"Trust she's earned, Rei. When ever we've needed her Ami has delivered, even when it's cost her badly."

Rei sighed softly, still looking more than a bit annoyed. "All right, I'll let it go for now" she scowled"but I hope she comes clean soon."

Minako just smiled. Looking innocent she perkily asked"And have you gone to see the lovely Officer Tsukino yet"

Rei just growled under her breath.

Up front Ami dialed her cellphone, connecting with the Mercury computer sustem back at home. "One message waiting, Ms. Mizuno." it said"do you wish to play"

"Yes" Ami answered.

"Ami Mizuno" the unfamiliar voice continued"This is Hotaru Tomoe. I'd like to meet with you at your earliest convenience regarding your mother's work for the Infinity Organization."

To be continued...


	10. 10

Part Ten

"I still think this is a really bad idea," Makoto Kino said, the brown haired woman sitting beside Ami in the sports car. Ahead of them Infinity Tower rose far above the sprawling city, a gleaming structure of glass and metal.

Ami shrugged slightly, keeping her eyes firmly on the road. Only yesterday she had been invited by Hotaru Tomoe to visit here, sparking a lively debate among the Senshi Sabers. In all honestly she had bee pleasantly surprised at the concern the women showed towards her.

'Especially Rei,' Ami had to admit. She looked over at Makoto and smiled slightly, "It's not like I could really refuse the invitation, you know."

"I know," Makoto conceded. She smiled grimly, "That's why we decided that I'd come along as a kind of bodyguard."

"You mean you three decided," Ami corrected with amusement, "I don't seem to recall being given much choice in the matter."

"You think we're going to let you go into the lion's den itself all alone?" Makoto questioned. The car began to follow the curving ramp that went up the outside of the tower as she continued, "We can't afford to loose you, Ami."

"The Senshi Sabers could continue," Ami said, glad that the car's scramblers were working, "the data is backed up in Mercury and with a third party."

"I mean," Makoto gave her a scolding look as they coasted to a stop on a parking level near the top of the tower, "Minako and I would miss you as a friend."

They got out of the car, pausing a moment before walking towards the entrance. "And Rei?" Ami found herself asking.

"She'd miss you for the annoyance value," Makoto said impishly.

Ami just had to chuckle at that comment.

Waiting for them there by the entrance was a red headed woman, dressed in a stiff business suit. Kaori Knight had a coolly professional smile and a searching gaze as she offered her hand and said, "Miss Mizuno, it's good to see you."

"Thank you," Ami shook the woman's hand, noting that she had seen an announcement in the papers that this woman had just been promoted to executive director. 'So what is such a high ranking company officer doing greeting me?'

"And you are?" Kaori looked to Makoto a bit more coldly.

"Makoto Kino," she sounded more amused than anything else by Kaori's tone, standing much taller than her, "I'm an friend of Miss Mizuno's."

"She was a bit worried, but I like having a friend," Ami put a subtle emphasis on the last word, "around who's so concerned about me."

Kaori blushed faintly, misinterpreting the relationship exactly as Ami intended. "Of course," she lead them inside as she continued, "I'll take you to where Miss Tomoe is waiting."

"So what's Tomoe like?" Makoto asked as they walked down the hall.

"She shared a great deal in common with her father, the former Chairman," Kaori answered firmly, "I'm sure she will lead Infinity well."

'A very diplomatic answer,' Ami noted mentally.

The halls of the tower around them were oddly comfortable, decorated with fine art and paintings, but still it was all cold steel and glass. The plush carpet barely made a sound as they walked, a faint scent of oil and machinery in the air beneath the perfume.

They reached a set of doors and Kaori raised her hand to knock when a voice came over the speakers. "Welcome Miss Mizuno, Miss Kino," the woman said, "come in."

The doors opened automatically, revealing a modestly sized office. To one side a couch, table and chair were waiting, while on the other a desk was set nearby the window, a young woman sitting there. Hotaru Tomoe got up and went around the desk to greet them, her shoulder length black hair being gently blow by the breeze. The black dress the slim woman wore was business wear but still looked good on her, even with her pale color.

"Miss Mizuno, I've been looking forward to meeting you," Hotaru took Ami's hand and shook it gently, her smile warm.

Ami smiled back coolly, "Charmed."

"Miss Kino," Hotaru turned, "I understand that the Megatokyo martial arts community lost a great competitor when you retired."

Makoto didn't let much of her surprise show at being recognized as she commented, "I still run my school, so it's not so much of a problem."

"It still annoys me to see our Bio-Boomers being misused in that way," Hotaru said to her conversationally, "and I hope to find out who did it so that they can be punished."

After a moment Kaori smiled slightly and asked, "Miss Tomoe, would you like me to remain here for the discussions?"

"Please," Hotaru gave Kaori a smile, "at least some of what we'll be talking about will involve your duties, too." She gestured the women over to the couch and chairs, "Please take a seat, I've ordered tea to be sent up to us."

Ami and Makoto sat down together on the couch, Hotaru and Kaori taking the individual seats. Almost on cue a Bio-boomer arrived with the pot of tea, the young woman pouring them cups, setting out snacks and then leaving silently.

"I suppose you're wondering why I asked you here," Hotaru said, taking a delicate bite of her cookie then washing it down with tea.

"I was," Ami cautiously agreed, "my family hasn't been associated with Infinity since my mother stopped working here."

Hotaru put her cup down on the table as she quietly said, "After my father's death I came into possession of his private files, information that has never come into the public eye."

Ami drank some tea, feeling a flash of excitement. "And?" she asked calmly.

"Your mother was killed I an car accident shortly after she began to take steps to protect her rights over the Bio-boomer designs," Hotaru sighed softly, "information in my father's files indicate that she was murdered."

"Miss Tomoe, I still think that discussing this is a bad idea," Kaori cautioned her employer.

Hotaru tossed Kaori a gentle smile, "We have to stop the rot somewhere, Kaori. I choose to do it here and now."

"What do you intend to do with this information?" Makoto asked intently, a bit surprised by Ami's shocked silence.

"Release it to the press," Hotaru said promptly, "along with the AD Police, in hopes that they can re-open the case."

Kaori was looking with concern at the still silent Ami. "Are you all right, Miss Mizuno?" she asked her quietly.

"Sorry," Ami shook herself a little. Playing the relative innocent she said, "I always wondered if something unsavory had happened, but I was never sure."

"Of course," Hotaru answered. "I know that this is a lot to take in," she said softly, "so I intend to give you time to digest it, but I do have a proposition for you."

"Yes?" Ami did her best not to sound too wary.

"Looking through some of your mother's files I got the sense that she had a vision for Bio-boomers and their peaceful association with humanity," Hotaru said gravely, "one I'd like to bring about with your help. I'd like to offer you a position with the company, rank and title to be determined, to help us accomplish that dream."

Ami drank a bit of tea, setting it down with a soft clink. "I'll need time to consider it," she said, "but I thank you for the offer."

A Bio-boomer arrived as Hotaru smiled. "Take as much time as you need," she said as she handed Ami a car with her private phone lines on it, "though I hope you accept." She gestured to the Bio-boomer, "This one will escort you to your car."

Kaori waited a few moments before softly saying, "She wasn't quite what I was expecting."

Hotaru smiled slightly as she gazed out the window, watching the car driving away. "She was exactly as I expected," she answered, "Ami Mizuno is clearly the woman behind the Senshi Sabers."

"So what do we do about it now?" Kaori asked.

"Do our best to bring her and her associates in," Hotaru answered, "we'll need all of their help when Mistress Nine finally awakens."

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

Part Eleven

"Do you think she's sincere?" Setsuna Meiou asked later that evening, the shop below closed and the staff sent away. She looked elegant in her green dress, her long black hair flowing in a glossy wave down her back as she sat across from Ami on a couch.

"I don't know," Ami Mizuno conceded, the blue haired young woman frowning thoughtfully as she sat on the edge of her chair. "I find Ms. Tomoe is a very hard person to read, as you can imagine," she added.

Setsuna raised a delicate eyebrow, "Because she's a Bio-boomer?"

"No," Ami said honestly as she met her eyes, "I could never get a good read on Professor Tomoe, either."

"I may be a bit more sensitive on the issue of she and I being Bio-boomers than I realized," Setsuna admitted. She shook herself, then concentrated on getting them back on topic, "If she is being honest, what do you plan to do?"

"Another I don't know," Ami sighed. She rubbed at her eyes tiredly, "The fact that she killed Prof. Tomoe in cold blood bothers me, even though there were times that I could have done the same thing to him myself."

"And how is the team reacting?" Setsuna asked,

"Mixed," Ami smiled wryly, "Minako is cautiously optimistic, Makoto doesn;t trust them and Rei is on the fence."

"The only one that surprises me is Rei," Setsuna noted.

"She hates and loathes everything that Infinity stands for," Ami looked amused, "but for killing Prof. Tomoe Rei's willing to give Hotaru a chance."

"Lovely," Setsuna blinked. She shook her head, "I knew Rei's ethics were a bit flexible, but this almost bothers me."

Ami was faintly surprised to find herself defending Rei, "We recruited her knowing she was interested in revenge, not a cause or justice."

"Fair enough," Setsuna said softly, closing her eyes a moment. She opened them to focus her eyes on Ami, "Have you decided what to do?"

"For now I want to see if Tomoe goes through with the public disclosure of her father's crimes," Ami said, "it'd be a gesture of good faith on her part."

"And the Senshi Sabers?" Setsuna asked.

Ami smiled grimly, "I have no intention of disbanding them, especially since I still feel there is good work they can do."

"Good," Setsuna flashed a smile, "I was worried."

"You shouldn't be," Ami shrugged, "I'm still far too committed to my mother's work."

Setsuna hesitated, unsure if this was the best time to bring this up. "I think your mother would have wanted you to be happy, too," she finally said.

Ami studied Setsna a moment, "And does something make you think I'm unhappy?"

"The Senshi Sabers and your mission are your life," Setsuna noted calmly, almost with a scientific detachment, "the shop and the few other things in your life are either part of your mission or carefully chosen window dressing."

"And that makes me unhappy?" Ami asked softly. Her lips's teased up in a smile, "I'm content, thank you very much."

"You don't have to settle for that," Setsuna said firmly. She softened her tone "I've seen people react to you, Ami, if you wanted to you could..."

"You know, listening to you now I can believe your personality was based on my mother's," Ami mused, trying to derail her train of thought.

Setsuna stopped, "Pesonally, I thought I was bering a concerned friend." She fixed Ami with a determined look, "And don't try to change the subject."

"Relationships are just too complicated," Ami shrugged uncomfortably, "just thinking of all the lies and evasions I'd have to do gives me a headache."

"Then consider someone who knows your secrets," Setsuna said.

Ami blinked, then in a perfect deadpan said, "Setsuna, you've been my friend for years, but it'd never work between us."

Setsuna looked at her in surprise then chuckled. "Nice try," she said laughingly, "but I think you know who I mean."

Ami shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "We're coworkers," she finall said, "it would interfere in our ability to work together in the team."

"Oh, I think you could separate work and play," Setsuna answered. She smoothly rose, "Just think about it, please?"

"Of course," Ami sighed. She looked at Setsuna curiously, "So where are you off to?"

"To check on Uranus and Neptune," Setsuna smiled wryly, "there's no telling what kind of trouble they might be getting into."

Rei Hino walked away from Hot Legs, glad that another night's performace was over. Part of her wanted to go get her bike and take off, but the black haired beauty was still feeling too wired from the preformance. So instead she walked the seedy streets of the city, risking her life almost as much as when she was out as a Senshi Saber.

'Maybe more,' Rei mused as she walked down the trash strew street, her leather boots kicking used needles and beer cans aside, 'at least I'm wearing armor as a Senshi.'

Behind her Rei could hear footsteps growing closer. She had felt them fall in behind her a whilke back, but for a time they seemed content to hang back. Now, however, whomever it was had decided to catch up. It might be a mugging or attempted rape, either way it didn't matter to Rei as long as there was a good fight.

"Excuse me," a familiar voice as a hand was put on Rei's shoulder.

Rei shrugged it off, wheeling to strike only to freeze, "You?"

Usagi Tsukino smiled, the slightly taller blonde looking oddly undressed out of her typical AD Police uniform. Instead she wore a simple skirt and blouse combination, one that suited her own fair coloring. "I didn't mean to startle you," Usagi said a bit sheepishly.

"You nearly got punched in the face," Rei shot back, feeling mildly disapointed that it really wasn't a mugger.

Rei whirled around, stomping off but Usagi fell right into step beside her. "That was an incredible preformance tonight," Usagi said, "especially that love song."

Rei scowled as she said, "It was a special request by my drummer to his girlfriend, not part of our usual number."

Usagi actually smiled back, studying Rei shrewdly, "Oh, I'm pretty sure you were the one who wrote that song."

Rei felt her cheeks color slightly under the other woman's gaze. "It's a fantasy, it has nothing to do with real life," she said gruffly.

Usagi paused, looking at Rei with those oddly deep blue eyes, "Maybe so, but I'd like something like that to be real."

Rei looked up at her in surprise, the silence stretching between them...

"I really hate to disturb them," the gently amused female voice murmured. Looking up Rei saw a familiar looking green haired young lady, her sandy haired lover standing close beside her.

"Michiru, Haruka," Rei felt a flash of relief at seeing them there.

"Friend of yours?" Haruka asked, looking at Usagi with an oddly predatory look.

"A acquaintence," Rei answered shortly.

"Ouch," Usagi winced.

"That's too harsh," Michiru chided Rei gently.

Rei smiled faintly, "Oh, I don't think so."

To be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

Part Twelve

Haruka gave Usagi a impish look, the four of them striding along the street in a protective team. "You know," the sandy haired young woman noted, "people are going to think we're Rei's groupies, or something."

"I do not have groupies," Rei growled, disregarding the young men and not a few women who had been cheering her band only a few minutes ago.

"Oh I don't know," Michiru said mildly, her long green hair glimmering, "I was in the crowd when that girl threw her panties on the stage for you."

Rei blushed even as Usagi smiled. Still the tall blonde stepped in to help Rei, "It could have been for one of her bandmates."

"Even if she yelled 'Rei-sama' when she threw it?" Haruka asked.

"Just leave it alone," Rei sighed. The black haired rocker had a faint blush on her cheeks, trying to walk forward as casually as possible.

"So how long have you known Rei?" Usagi asked Haruka and Michiru, the AD police officer studying the two curiously.

"Not long," Michiru suddenly threw her arms around the startled Rei, "We're her groupies!"

"Michiru," Haruka rolled her eyes as Rei struggled in her grip. Meeting Usagi's gaze she simply said, "We met her not long ago, actually."

'Good,' Usagi thought, glad that the charming blonde wasn't competition for Rei. Of course the thoughtful looks that Haruka were giving her were making Usagi a bit nervous, too. "Well, it's nice to meet you," she said.

"Likewise," Haruka nearly purred.

Michiru looked amused, keeping a firm grip on Rei. "Do you think I could trade her in for you?" she asked Rei impishly.

"Somehow I don't think you're serious," Rei said wryly.

Usagi was about to say something when off in the distance there was a explosion! "Damn it," she scanned the horizon, seeing the spark of flames rising even as her cellphone rang. "Tsukino," she barked, stepping away from Rei and the others.

"I think we should excuse ourselves," Haruka said to Rei regretfully. She smiled, "I hope we'll see you in a few days."

"It was good to see you again," Michiru added, the two moving off down the street.

Rei waved good-bye casually even as she jerked slightly, her silenced cellphone vibrating slightly. "Yo," Rei flipped it open, somehow not surprised to see Ami.

"Are you alone?" Ami asked tersely. Stepping away a bit farther from Usagi Rei nodded and Ami continued, "There's a Bio-boomer on the rampage not far from Hot Legs, we're already on our way to pick you up."

Rei gave the street address she was standing at even as she said, "I've got Tsukino with me, I'll have to ditch her first."

"I'm sure you'll handle it," Ami said dryly before hanging up.

Usagi finished her phone call only a few moment's later, giving Rei an apologetic look, "Duty calls," she sighed, "I gotta go."

"I'm sure if you track the criminal as well as you seem to pretty girls," Rei said dryly, "you'll have things in hand in no time."

"Why thank you," Usagi surprised Rei with a smile. A bit more seriously she asked, "I'm going to get my bike, do you need a ride anywhere?"

Rei smiled back, touched by her concern. "Don't worry," she answered firmly:"I have a friend coming to pick me up."

"Maybe someday we can actually talk," Usagi added as she jogged off, her long blonde hair flowing behind her in twin streams.

'Not if I can help it,' Rei thought, watching Usagi ride by a few moments later on her motorcycle. It wasn't long before the Silky Doll truck arrived, Minako behind the wheel and Makoto in the passenger side.

"This could be interesting," Makoto commented as the amazonian woman popped the door open to the back of the truck.

Rei smoothly climbed aboard the truck, nodding her acknowledgment to Ami Mizuno. The owner of the Silky Doll and de-facto leader of the Senshi Sabers was already armored, her icy blue suit suiting her thoughtful, remote expression. Her blue hair fell into her eyes, the helmet sitting beside her on the bench.

"What's the situation?" Rei asked, stripping her jacket off as she walked over to where her Hardsuit was mounted on the wall.

"It's going to be more dangerous," Ami commented as she turned her head. her eyes unwillingly lingering as Rei stripped "we've got a military model on the loose."

"I thought military models were banned in Japan?" Rei blinked, standing there in just her lacy bra and panties.

'I wonder if she got them at the Silky Doll?' Ami found herself wondering, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Officially they are," Ami kept her voice steady by force of will, "but may companies ship them in illegally for security purposes."

"Damn it," Rei cursed as she hit the switch to open up the armor's main body, climbing in and sliding the metal over her cool skin.

"There's an update from the AD Police," Minako yelled from up front, using a set of headphones to monitor the police communication nets, "sounds like they're not having much luck containing the Bio-boomer."

"Not surprising," Makoto commented, holding on to the dashboard as Minako executed a rough turn to avoid a police roadblock.

"Get us as close as you ca to the edge of the police perimeter," Ami ordered crisply, "then we'll get armored up and go in."

"Right," Minako grinned.

They pulled in behind a office building, not far from where the police sirens wailed, then they all finished armoring up. Rei lead the charge, her blood red suit gleaming as they bounded up to a rooftop to get a better view of the situation.

"Damn," Makoto murmured, her forest green armor shining in the twilight.

The Bio-boomer was a big one, nearly ten foot tall, it's body designed for heavy lifting. It's normally smooth form was angular with segments of metallic armor, alloy giving it a ominous look, as did the cannons grafted to it's back and at the ends of each heavily muscled arm.

"Minako, what can you tell us?" Ami asked, seemingly calm.

Minako's golden armor possessed the best sensors of the group, as well as a variety of other gear and she was an expert at using it. "The exoshell is heavy armor," she reported, "maybe even a titanium alloy. The weapons are shielded, sorry to say."

Rei nodded towards a boxy unit on it's back, "That almost looks like someone took a missile launcher and grafted it on."

"We'll have to be cautious doing this," Ami warned, "and the armor will make things more complicated. First we'll have to break through that, then go for heart crystal all while evading it's guns."

"There's not much we can plan," Makoto shrugged, "I go in to deal with it directly, my strength and cutting blades give me the best shot. Minako uses ECM and visual effects to distract it along with Rei and Ami."

"Oh no," Minako started.

"I don't see any better way," Makoto said firmly, looking towards her lover, "and I bet you don't either, m'love."

"She's right," Ami said firmly.

"Then let's go," Rei leapt off the side of the building, bringing her arm cannon up even as the Bio-boomer did. Before it could fire she shot a needle right down the barrel of her enemy's weapon, the delayed charge exploding inside.

With a flash the end of the Bio-boomer's arm exploded, fragments of metal and artificially generated flesh splattering outward, Shockingly the smoking stump began to regenerate almost immediately, a misshapen hand reforming where the gun had rested.

"Should we..." Naru asked, holding her gun at the ready among the AD Police officers.

Usagi hesitated, then the blonde haired officer shook her head. "Give them their shot," she said, "if we have to we can arrest the winner."

"Mistress..." the Bio-boomer hissed out through a deformed jaw, partially blocked by the laser cannon that had been installed there.. "nine!" The backpack opened, spewing missiles that rained down on the battlefield.

"Damn it," Minako cursed as she frantically jammed tracking systems an defused internal systems, rendering most of the missiles harmless.

Shrugging off a near miss Makoto ducked beneath a wild swing of her larger foe, electrically charged cables swinging out from her suit to slice at the armor. 'Did that thing say Mistress Nine?' she wondered eve as she swung up to break it's distended jaw.

'How did this thing get free,' Ami wondered as she swung her silver swords, the blades trailing supercold fluid, cutting into another arm with a unearthly grace, 'and do I really want to know?'

To be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

Interlude: Blood and Metal

Hotaru Tomoe frowned as she watched the monitors, her eyes grim as she observed the data feed of the battle that they had tapped into from the AD Police. "I see Usagi Tsukino has been reinstated," she noted quietly, black hair flowing over her shoulders.

"Chief Haruna called her in, I believe," Kaori agreed as she drank her tea, both of them sitting in the executive office, "she's one of the most experienced officers they have, even if she is often insubordinate." The redhead looked over at the president of Infinity as she quietly asked, "Did the combat Bio-boomer shout what I think it did?"

"Mistress Nine," Hotaru agreed grimly, rubbing at her eyes tiredly.

"But..." Kaori hesitated, "I thought that Mistress Nine was still asleep, sealed away?"

Touching a key on her control panel Hotaru cut away from the battle even as the military Bio-boomer fell to the Senshi Sabers, the image changing to a round chamber off in the distance, a figure faintly visible within it. Various kinds of data scrolled along the bottom of the screen, monitoring energy levels, air quality and dozens of other factors.

"The computers say that she's in there," Hotaru said quietly. She got up, pacing the room as she continued, "But we both know computers can be fooled."

Kaori nodded reluctantly. Early on Hotaru had accessed Infinity's computer systems, spreading across Megatokyo to eliminate any data relating to the Saturn project or the death of the original Hotaru Tomoe, planting modified files in the process. It was unlikely that any of the original data remained, much less in a useful form. Getting up from her seat she said, "Do you think we need to do an on site inspection?"

Hotaru smiled, glad to see her assistant was anticipating her once again. "Well, I do," she said, "but I need you to say here."

"No," Kaori surprised her.

"Oh?" Hotaru raised her eyebrow, "I thought that I gave you an order."

"I can't let you go alone," Kaori said softly. Hesitantly she continued, "I'm not a technical type, but even I can see how similar the Saturn and Mistress Nine designs are... she could influence you, even without you being aware of it."

"And Nine could kill you," Hotaru said softly, "or worse."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take," Kaori said, meeting her eyes with absolute honesty.

Hotaru sighed, wondering how she could have so quickly inspired such loyalty in her. 'Or maybe it's just that I'm an improvement over Father,' she thought uncharitably. "All right," she finally gave in, "but you're going prepared."

"Eh?" Kaori blinked.

Not long afterward a Infinity company car left the building, Hotaru in the driver's seat as they moved through the streets of Megatokyo. "So how does it feel?" she asked, looking over at her passenger thoughtfully.

"Uncomfortable," Kaori sighed. She had exchanged her business wear for a suit of combat armor, several grades higher than what the AD Police could afford. Bulletproof, impact absorbent and even fire resistant it was a marvel of engineering, if a bit hard to wear.

Hotaru chuckled softly, "Sorry, it's necessary." She tapped a section of armor mounted on the arm, "This might buy you enough time to get clear if things go bad."

"Hmm," Kaori sighed. She looked off into the distance, gathering her thoughts, then quietly said, "Let's see if I've gotten this straight. Mistress Nine was created after Uranus and Saturn, and was your prototype?"

"Yes," Hotaru nodded, "my dear Father was working on a improved brain design, and downloaded the Hotaru files to it as he developed her. Apparently something was wrong with her design, and when she awoke she was fully insane."

"My god," Kaori murmured, "how did he cover it up?"

"As the self-named Mistress Nine was murdering her way through the facility Tomoe managed to lure her into a containment unit," Hotaru revealed coolly. "He escaped the facility then used a prototype weapon to destroy the building, in the process setting off a major quake that swept across the whole city."

"Incredible," Kaori breathed out.

"In the confusion Father concealed all evidence of Infinity's involvement," Hotaru continued. A grim smile, "The cynical bastard even used the quake to make Infinity look good, stepping in to offer disaster relief."

Kaori nodded, putting that data together with other things she had learned. "And that was when the Uranus and Neptune prototypes escaped?" she asked.

They entered the bad part of town, a section where the damage from the quake hadn't yet been erased. "They were taken," Hotaru corrected her as she drove on, "though I have my suspicions as to who had done so."

"Ami Mizuno?" Kaori asked.

"She wasn't active just then, though I suspect she was finishing the Senshi Saber suits at the time," Hotaru said as they slowed to a stop nearby a broken subway entrance. "No, I think it was the missing Pluto prototype that did it." She opened the door and got out, "We'll have to walk from here."

"Professor Tomoe believed Pluto had been destroyed," Kaori sounded a bit dubious as she got out then went into the back seat. The cannon she had checked out from Infinity's security department was comfortable in her hands, a magnetic rail gun designed to damage even the toughest of the Bio-boomers.

While she lead the way down the subway stairs Hotaru said, "He hoped that Pluto was destroyed, but Father never knew for sure." They carefully navigated down, past fallen stone and across cracked pavement, then down into the unused tunnels that once criss-crossed the city.

Kaori checked the map on her data pad, noting how Hotaru was unerringly navigating them to the buried chamber. 'Did she memorize the map,' she wondered, 'or are Hotaru's instincts leading her right to her... sister?'

"Here," Hotaru said as they reached a section of collapsed tunnel.

"Should I...?" Kaori raised her gun meaningfully towards the wall.

"No," Hotaru shook her head, "let me."

With startling swiftness Hotaru struck the wall with a first, stone chips flying with the force of her blow. Again and again she punched, stone cracking loudly, until finally the section broke away revealing a dark, musty tunnel beyond.

"You're bleeding," Kaori hurried forward, swiftly bandaging her bleeding knuckles, winding white cloth over the broken skin.

Hotaru blinked at her in surprise, then smiled slightly. "Thank you," she said softly, meeting Kaori's eyes.

"You're welcome," Kaori looked away, blushing faintly.

Without another word they headed out, moving into the darkness. Climbing over broken stone and around fallen beams they eventually made their way to the wreckage of the research facility, sunk beneath the city by Infinity's earthquake device. Navigating the halls they made their way inside, the musty scent of decay in the air.

"Urk," Kaori fought the urge to be ill as they stepped over the remains of a few of Mistress Nine's victims, the passage of time not erasing the horror from those dried out faces.

Hotaru put a comforting hand on her arm, "Not much farther."

The center of the facility had a containment chamber, one that had been designed to hold the unpredictable results of some Bio-boomer experiments. Specially coated the chamber should have been able to contain nearly any biological material known to man. As they entered the outer room a wave of stench hit them, and both women knew something was wrong.

"No," Kaori breathed out.

The entire side of the chamber had been dissolved away, the metal and ceramics used to form stairs leading up and out of the room. The bodies of the staff were scattered about, some almost looking like they had been... eaten.

Hotaru looked around the room with as much detachment as she could manage, though it was clear she was shaken, too. "So Mistress Nine is free," she said harshly, "and by the looks of things, it's been awhile."

"What do we do now?" Kaori asked, clutching her gun nervously.

"Contact Ami Mizuno and the Senshi Sabers," Hotaru said grimly, "and pray they know how to contact Pluto, Uranus and Neptune. We'll need all the help we can get to stop this thing."

To be continued...


	14. Chapter 14

Part Fourteen

The armored backpack on the military Bio-Boomer exploded, the missiles within detonating to stagger the creature. Makoto leap up on to it's back even as the other three raced in to restrain it, her gauntleted hands digging into morphing flesh. In a moment she found the heart crystal and crushed it, the beast stopping cold.

"Well," Naru asked as she looked up at her partner, the brown haired officer holding her hand gun at the ready, "what now?"

Usagi studied the armored figures a moment then she yelled, "Senshi Sabers! Surrender, or you will be fired on!"

"You have got to be kidding," Rei muttered, her red armor gleaming.

"Fire," Usagi ordered and the assembled AD Police officers opened fire!

Remarkably the bullets left the four armored figures unfazed, though they did look irritated. The red Senshi raised her cannon arm and fired into a nearby squad car, the vehicle detonating in a burst of fire and light. Blinded by the blast the AD Police officers reeled back, the Senshi Sabers using the moment to escape.

"Well that's gratitude for you," Minako growled, the golden armored figure bounding with the others from roof to roof.

"Remind me to be especially snarky to Usagi next time I see her," Rei growled as they reached the Silky Doll van, climbing in quickly.

"That might be a big hint to her that you're a Senshi," Ami said mildly.

"Besides, she's just doing her job," Makoto pointed out, pulling her green helm off and shaking out her hair.

Minako shook her head, blonde hair flowing as she efficiently stripped off armor, "You're more generous than I am."

"We'd better move before the Police get mobilized," Ami said, changing into a simple if stylish looking jumpsuit. She climbed up into the front seat and then started up the van, pulling out into traffic and heading back to the Silky Doll.

Rei changed into her clothes ad headed up, climbing into the passenger seat. "What are you going to do about Infinity?" she asked.

Ami raised an eyebrow at her, keeping her gaze on the road. "I thought we already discussed this?" she inquired.

"Not really," Rei said dryly. She studied the blue haired woman intently then she pressed, "Do you trust Ms. Tomoe?"

"I don't know," Ami conceded. "She clearly is ruthless, as well as being capable of killing," she said, "but she appeared to be frank with me."

"Huh," Rei sat back, her black hair flowing loose. She smiled faintly, "And what does your gut tell you?"

"I don't listen to my gut," Ami said with a faintly amused smile, "or however you may choose to describe your instincts."

"You should try it," Rei said, "listening to my gut was how I made the decision to join the Senshi in the first place."

"Then I like your gut," Ami admitted as Rei chuckled softly.

In the back of the van Minako slipped her leather miniskirt on, feeling Makoto's eyes resting on her as she put a bit of extra wiggle into pulling on the tight garment. "Rei sure was fast going up to join Ami," she noted with a grin.

Makoto slipped her own somewhat looser dress on, balancing carefully to the sway of the van. "What are you thinking of?" she asked, a smile on her face.

"Do you think that Rei likes her?" Minako asked curiously.

"Considering how much they argue," Makoto sat down on a bench to slip her socks and shoes on, "I kind of doubt it."

Minako looked thoughtful as she pointed out, "Maybe so, but have you noticed they can't keep their eyes off each other?"

That actually made Makoto stop a second, recalling the two of them together. "You know," she conceded, "you might have a point about that."

"Now, what should we do about it?" Minako asked eagerly.

"Should we do anything?" Makoto raised an eyebrow. Seeing her lover's disappointed look she smiled gently, "I think both of them wouldn't react well to our meddling."

Minako paled, thinking of the last time she had managed to annoy Ami, and the tongue lashing she got for it. Not to mention the kind of temper Rei seemed to have, too. "You might have a point, too," she conceded.

"You know I do," Makoto grinned. They could feel the truck jerking to a stop and she smiled, "Looks like we're back."

In a moment they were all out, the underground facilities that the Senshi Sabers used stretching out all around them. Ami climbed out of the driver's seat as she said, "Your standard wages will be electronically deposited within the hour."

"Thanks," Rei said mildly, "I need to pay the parking fees for my trailer."

"Why do you live in that thing, anyway?" Ami asked curiously, "I had a detective do a check on you, you could easily afford better."

"Oh really?" Rei blinked, a bit of edge to her voice.

"Much like I did with our fellow Senshi," Ami kept her voice even.

"I don't really give a shit if you did it to everyone else," Rei flared up, "stay the hell out of my private life!" With that she turned and strode away, leaving them in stunned silence.

"You were saying?" Makoto murmured to Minako.

"Hush," Minako hissed. She looked to Ami, noting the oddly bemused look on her face as she asked, "What was that all about?"

In a soft voice Ami said almost to herself, "I think I'm beginning to figure it out." Shaking herself she looked at the other two, "Excuse me, I was planning to work on the hardsuits tonight." And with that she was off.

"You know, I don't think I understand either of them," Makoto said as she and Minako headed out to the street level.

"Me, too," Minako sighed. She smiled, cuddling close to Makoto as she murmured, "You busy tonight?"

Makoto slid a arm over Minako's shoulders, "Oh, I was thinking of taking a lovely blonde to dinner... any volunteers?"

"I'd love to," Minako sighed happily.

Striding through the base to the engineering bay Ami was lost in her thoughts. 'Rei and I are alike,' she realized, 'someone gets close, like with our conversation in the van, we then have to shove them away.'

"Ms. Mizuno," Mercury's soft voice said, "there are two messages waiting for you, both marked as urgent."

"Thank you Mercury," Ami said even as she silently cursed her momentary distraction. "Play all," she ordered.

"This is Setsuna," the familiar voice said, "I've found some disturbing information interviewing a former Infinity employee. Apparently there's a prototype for Saturn out there called 'Nine,' a failure. I'll keep looking into it."

"Nine?" Ami blinked, her eyes narrowing. 'That Bio-boomer said something about Mistress Nine,' she remembered.

"Ms. Mizuno," Hotaru Tomoe's voice came on next, "please contact me in person as soon as possible on a matter of gravest importance."

'In person?' Ami blinked, wondering what could be so urgent. 'Guess I'll find out soon enough,' she thought as she ordered, "Mercury, query the Infinity computers as to Hotaru's current location."

"Infinity Tower," Mercury responded promptly, "she just arrived back."

"Call and let her know I'm on my way," Ami added.

To be continued...


	15. Chapter 15

Part Fifteen

"Miss Mizuno, it's good to see you again," Kaori Knight nodded in greeting, the redhead calmly waiting to escort Ami to her boss. She stood there in the reception area of Infinity Tower, the massive structure bustling twenty four hours a day with scientists, researchers, manufacturing and of course security staff to keep the occupants safe.

"Ms. Knight," Ami nodded back, the blue haired young woman having changed her clothes to a severe looking business suit. Combined with subtle traces of makeup and her serious expression she made a surprisingly intimidating figure there in the Infinity Tower.

Kaori lead her through the lobby then over to the lift and they soon were rising smoothly. "I'm sorry for how quickly we called you here," she said to Ami respectfully, "but I believe it's a matter of some urgency."

"Can you explain?" Ami asked as they rode.

"I'd rather wait for Miss Tomoe," Kaori sounded gently apologetic, "she has a personal stake in this discussion."

That surprised Ami a bit, "Ah."

They reached the penthouse level a few moments later, Kaori leading Ami right into the main office on that floor. Hotaru Tomoe looked up from a data-screen on her desk, black hair framing her delicate face as she nodded, "Welcome."

"Miss Tomoe," Ami answered, taking a seat before the desk. She narrowed her eyes slightly, "May I ask what was so urgent as to require a personal meeting?"

"It's complicated," Hotaru admitted quietly.

Ami felt like she was flying as her mind made the sudden leap. "Mistress Nine?" she asked softly, studying Hotaru thoughtfully.

Hotaru smiled slightly, but it was an almost humorless expression. "Your information network is as good as reported," she noted quietly, "how did you know?"

Ami decided to stick with half truths, since complete honesty wasn't wise just yet. "A rogue Bio-boomer mentioned the name while in combat with the Senshi Sabers," Ami said calmly, "and a source of mine mentioned it as well."

'And you're not going to admit you heard the name first hand, will you?' Hotaru thought with grim amusement. "Yes, the problem is Mistress Nine," Hotaru confirmed, "she's a prototype Bio-boomer who apparently escaped containment some time ago."

"Containment?" Ami leaned forward.

"Mistress Nine has unusual abilities in addition to her greatly advanced strength," Hotaru got up from her chair and looked out at the city below, "she can disrupt both human and Bio-boomer flesh, as well as driving nearby Bio-boomers insane."

"Is she the cause of rogue Bio-boomers?" Ami asked intently.

"Not the only cause," Hotaru sighed, "most of it is a flaw in my fathers design. But I think Nine has triggered the rapid rise in failures recently."

"What can I do to help?" Ami asked mildly.

Hotaru smiled, feeling amused by this whole odd dance they were doing. Ami seemed unwilling to concede her connection to the Senshi Sabers outright, and she felt bound by tact not to force the issue. 'At least not yet,' she added mentally. "I understand you can contact the Senshi Sabers," she said aloud.

"I have been in touch with them at times," Ami nodded mildly.

Hotaru produced a data disk from the top of her desk and carried it over to Ami. "This is whatever archival data we have on Nine's creation and activities," she handed it over, "please pass it on to them, please."

"I'll do that." Ami took it.

Hotaru looked at her thoughtfully a moment, "You may not be aware, but there were three prototypes created before Nine." Silently she added, 'And myself, of course.'

"Really," Ami said brightly, eyes nearly perfectly innocent.

'No one looks that innocent unless they're hiding something,' Hotaru hid a chuckle. "They were designated Pluto, Uranus and Neptune in the files belonging to your mother," she revealed, "finding them could be vital to stopping Nine."

Ami nodded, "I'll pass them on, too." She got up, tucking the disk away as she said crisply, "Thank you, Hotaru."

A few minutes later Ami was gone and Kaori rejoined Hotaru in the office, looking on with concern as her employer slumped tiredly. "Are you all right, ma'am?" Kaori asked softly.

"Just vaguely frustrated," Hotaru admitted, running a hand through her black hair. The pale young woman smiled wryly, "I can understand Ami's reluctance to open up, in her shoes I'd feel the same way, but it makes the situation even more difficult."

"There are other options," Kaori offered softly, "we could mobilize corporate security or the AD Police against Nine when the time comes."

"No," Hotaru sighed, "they'd be slaughtered. I have enough blood on my hands without adding innocents to the list."

"Ma'am," Kaori protested, laying her hand gently on Hotaru's arm.

Hotaru gave her a gentle smile, patting that hand absentmindedly. "I just wish I knew what Nine was doing..." she sighed.

Ami Mizuno was thinking much the same as she strode into her store, nodding to the departing staff. Thank you for closing up Catsy," she said softly, "I didn't expect to be gone so long."

The purple haired girl smiled back warmly as Catsy said, "It's all right, ma'am. Did you have a good evening?"

"Business meeting," Ami shrugged, "it went fine."

"Well," Catsy excused herself, "I hope you have a good night."

Without thinking about it Ami strode through the store checking things over before entering the concealed lift, descending smoothly bellow the Silky Doll. She made her way to the office and command center she had created years ago and sat down behind her desk with a relieved sigh.

After a moment's rest Ami went to work, setting up her computer for it's upcoming task. Quite deliberately she severed it from her internal system and shut down all it's outgoing connections as a security precaution before putting Tomoe's disk inside.

"Always better to be safe than sorry," Ami muttered to herself as she accessed the directories within by a click of her mouse.

After a second a video file came up, labeled Mizuno-25. A click opened it and a face very like Ami's own appeared, her expression tired but oddly satisfied. "The planet series of prototypes are finally done," she said quietly, "the bridge between Tomoe's crude Bio-boomers and humanity. I hope with their aide humanity and Bio-boomers can coexist safely."

Ami paused the image to study her mother's face, feeling an ace of regret. "Mother," she sighed, "you were so naive."

Another file was labeled Tomoe-25, and curious Ami opened it. "Mizuno has done it," Tomoe said, his round glasses gleaming as he gestured wildly in his long white lab coat, "she's made me the perfect husks. Now I just have to replicate the basic design and download Hotaru's memory-data onto the blank creation..."

Another file, Tomoe-27. "Mizuno is fighting me over the Planet series," Tomoe said coldly, "it's a difficult situation. I clearly own the original Bio-boomer, but Mizuno's advances could be argued to be her original intellectual property. Mizuno could slow or even stop the resurrection unless I'm prepared to take the needed steps."

"Bastard," Ami growled in uncharacteristic anger. From the date and time stamps it was shortly after that he had arranged for Mizuno's murder, the false accident to steal the research he needed. She still couldn't understand how he could do that, kill for an ambition no matter how noble he thought it was.

To be continued...


	16. Chapter 16

Part Sixteen

Rei Hino scowled as she finished up her set, sweat plastering her freshly cut short black hair to her head. She and her band mates left the stage, the singer practically simmering with nervous energy, and with a determined stride Rei ducked into her changing room to dress.

'I can't believe she's still following me,' Rei thought with annoyance as she stripped off her skimpy stage clothes and climbed into the slightly moldy old shower. She thought of the pretty blonde police officer and fought back a scowl as she turned on the water taps, nearly howling in surprise as it gushed ice cold.

"That didn't sound good," the drummer noted from the next room as he casually uncapped a beer and chugged it down. The rest of her bandmates were sprawled around the room, having nearly collapsed from keeping up with their driven leader.

"Boy has she been bitchy," the guitarist agreed with that glumly, his messy hair falling in his eyes. He reached out and caught a casually tossed beer as he added, "Wonder if it's 'cause she hasn't been getting laid lately?"

The keyboardist nearly choked on his drink, the lanky man looking amused. "Don't let her hear you say that," he noted, "or she'll kill you."

"You can say that again," the drummer agreed.

"Wish I could get the sort of action she's getting," the keyboardist noted with a sigh, "how many girls have we seen around her lately?"

"Other than the usual groupies? Let's see..."

"There's the blue haired office lady," one noted.

"That hot blonde police officer," he sighed, "too bad she's so butch."

"And that pair of girls too," the third man mused, "do you think they're interested in recruiting Rei for a threesome?"

"If they could bottle whatever the hell it is that Rei has," the drummer groaned, "I'd buy it by the case full, I swear."

Thankfully unaware that her sex life and potential girlfriends were being speculated on next door Rei stumbled out of the icy shower, shivering a bit as she grabbed a towel and wiped herself off, trying to warm her chilled bones. Once she was dry she pulled on her riding leathers, the black synthetic leather clinging to every curve as she zipped it up with a hiss.

Matching boots thumping on the floor as Rei left her dressing room and hammered on the door beside it as she yelled, "You decent?"

"No," her keyboardist called back, "but come in anyway."

Rei pushed the door open with a slight smile, feeling faintly surprised when she noted all three men were blushing. 'What the hell?' she thought, wondering what they might have been talking about. Dismissing that thought Rei said briskly, "I'm taking off, so don't get into shit. I'm not bailing you all out of jail again."

"Hey, it only happened the one time," the drummer protested, "and the bartender lied about us starting the fight."

"Yeah right," Rei scoffed. She turned as she said calmly, "Catch you later." Heading out into the night Rei pulled her coat on around her, climbing on her cycle and starting it up, the rumble soft as she hurried off into the darkness.

The next morning Setsuna Meiou strode into the Silky Doll, the tall black haired woman scanning the shop a moment as she searched for a single person. A smile teased her lips as she saw Ami talking to a lovely young woman, assisting her sort through panties, eventually helping the lady find a daring thong that she carried to a change room.

Ami looked up as she saw Setsuna walking up, the blue haired young woman smiling slightly. "Good morning," she nodded.

"I'm surprised how calmly you do all this," Setsuna looked around the store as Ami's employees Catsy and Birdy helped other customers pick out lingerie and other items, "considering your usually shy nature."

"It took some getting used to," Ami conceded. She kept her expression neutral as she said, "Thank you for coming so soon."

"After you forwarded me a copy of Tomoe's files I almost had to," Setsuna said. A smile, "Should I meet you in the upper office?"

Ami noticed a customer waving and put on her professional smile. "I hope I'll only be a few minutes," she promised as she headed off.

Setsuna watched Ami skillfully pull the slightly chunky woman away from a outfit that would have looked horrid and towards a much more suitable item, then she moved on. Nodding a greeting to Birdy Setsuna opened the back door, revealing the stairs that lead to the offices upstairs. There was an elevator available, too, but she preferred the stairs.

"Good morning Miss Meiou," Mercury said, the computer's feminine voice matching the soothing personality she had.

"Morning," Setsuna agreed as she walked over to a waiting coffee pot on the counter nearby, cookies and other snacks waiting too.

"Would you like me to update you on information obtained from the Bio-boomer development files?" Mercury asked politely.

"Just the high points," Setsuna stirred her coffee then took a sip, "I'm sure Ami will want to go over them with me, too."

"Prof. Tomoe confessed in his files to killing Doctor Mizuno," Mercury's voice was flat, "as well as stealing her project data on the Outers."

Setsuna sat on the couch with a thump. "I just wish we had been able to get this data years ago," she sighed, "we could have nailed Tomoe to the wall."

"I cannot compute the probability of a conviction," Mercury agreed, "but Tomoe would certainly be charged if the police knew."

Taking a long drink of her coffee Setsuna asked, "Do we know for certain that Tomoe knew about Uranus and Neptune?"

"Confirmed," Mercury said, "but he did not have the data on their final appearance or full combat capabilities. It may be because of that, that Infinity couldn't find them."

"Very probably," Setsuna got a cookie, being careful not to get any crumbs on the couch. A few moments later two very familiar voices were heard talking and Setsuna sat up in surprise. 'What are they doing here?'

Ami Mizuno came in first, the blue haired young woman's expression frankly murderous. Behind her came Haruka and Michiru, the two ladies trying to look as innocent as possible. "Fancy meeting you here," Haruka grinned endearingly, her sandy brown hair falling into her eyes.

"What do you think you're doing?" Setsuna got up, long black hair swinging, "I expressly forbid you to stay away from Ami or the Senshi Sabers!"

"I assume you told them where I was based?" Ami asked, putting her hands in the pockets of her stylish business suit.

"Yes," Setsuna conceded, "and clearly it was a mistake on my part."

"Setsuna-san," Michiru was quietly respectful, "you can't protect us forever."

A light seemed to go on for Ami and she smiled slightly. 'Of course,' she realized, 'Setsuna's mind is mostly patterned after my mother... and in a way the mother of these two, too. No wonder she's protective of them.'

"Besides," Haruka said, "we've already made contact with one of the other Senshi."

"What?" both Ami and Setsuna blurted.

"Rei Hino," Michiru supplied, "we went to one of her concerts and got to talking..."

Ami sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "There's a reason I've discouraged you from meeting the Senshi, and it's for your and our security," Ami sighed, "I may not be so concerned about Infinity but there are quite a few people interested in you."

"But..." Haruka started when they heard another set of footsteps.

"Hey Ami, I was in the neighborhood and I wanted to..." Rei Hino started before blinking in surprise at the two young ladies. "You!"

"Rei, hello," Michiru bowed slightly, smiling.

"I understand you already know each other," Ami carefully masked her irritation at this development as she lied, "but Haruka and Michiru are Setsuna's roommates. Apparently they followed her down here."

"Really," Rei said coldly, getting the strong impression that Ami was lying to her. With a flare of irritation she said, "I came down to talk to you, but I can see you're busy." Turning she stomped from the room, "Good bye!"

"Well that could have gone better," Setsuna sighed after the sound of the door slamming faded, feeling a headache coming on.

"Sorry," Haruka sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Ami locked the door this time then sat down with a sigh, studying both young women. "Are you certain you want to help?" she asked.

"Ami," Setsuna sat up in surprise, looking with dismay at Ami.

"They're right that we can't easily protect them," Ami told her, "and with the way things are escalating I'll need to call them in soon anyway."

"Point," Setsuna admitted after a moment's thought, but also clearly reluctant from the look on her face

"We'll do everything we can to help," Michiru vowed as Haruka nodded her agreement.

"Then sit down and grab a coffee," Ami waved them over to a seat, "and let me tell you what we know about Mistress Nine..."

To be continued...


	17. Chapter 17

Senshi Sabers

Part Seventeen

Kaori turned the tumbler of golden alcohol around slowly in her hands, studying it's depths with a thoughtful expression on her pretty face. Finally he redheaded business woman brought it to her lips and drank some carefully, the few glasses that she had already drank leaving her feeling a bit tipsy.

"You wanna talk about it?" the bartender asked, the tall, blue haired woman wiping down the counter top casually.

"Would it help?" Kaori looked up at those almost catlike eyes.

"Might make you feel better," the woman said as she poured a soda and offered it to Kaori instead of more booze.

"Maybe," Kaori sighed. She took a drink, "I've got a new employer, been working for her a couple of weeks."

"Um-hm," the bartender prompted gently.

"She's..." Kaori's eyes focusesd on something off in the distance, "dynamic, forceful, energetic, all the things a executive should be."

"But?" she asked.

"She's also so alone that it's not funny, and has a tender side that breaks my heart," Kaori softly admitted.

"And you've fallen for her," the bartender noted gently.

Kaori sighed as she drank some soda, "Yeah, I guess I have."

"She know that you're so inclined?" the bartender asked wryly.

"I don't think so," Kaoru shook her head, "up until now I've done my best to keep my work and personal lives separate."

Cleaning a glass the taller woman asked, "Do you want her to know?"

"I... don't know," Kaori sighed.

"It's safer admiring from afar, but you'll never know if she could care for you or not unless you try," she noted.

"Maybe," Kaori sounded more than a bit unconvinced.

"Hey Ryouko," a voice called from up the bar, "I'm dying over here!"

"Keep your shirt on, Misato!" Ryouko yelled back before turning to look at Kaori apologetically. "Sorry, gotta get back to work."

"No problem," Kaori got up, glad to feel herself wobble only a little.

"You need a ride?" Ryouko checked her over carefully.

"I'll call a taxi," Kaori reassured her.

"Then I hope you have a good night," Ryouko smiled down at her, "and thanks for visiting Arisugawa's Locket."

Kaori walked off as she waved, "Thanks."

Hailing a taxi was fairly easy, her pay-card covering the fare as Kaori looked out the window, her thoughts less on her surroundings and more on her enigmatic employer, Hotaru Tomoe. She, of course, knew that her boss was really a Bio-boomer, but oddly she found that didn't bother her. If she was going to be honest Hotaru seemed more human than her father, Prof. Tomoe had been.

No, what bothered Kaori was her confusion over her own feelings. Up to a month ago she would have sworn that she was straight, not even the currently popular bisexual. In college and university she had dated boys, and once graduating she had used her academic gifts along with her looks to advance up the corporate ladder. Occasionally there had been instances where she had to sleep with a executive, and she had done so with no qualms.

Looking back now Kaori realized there might have been a few careful passes from female employers, but at the time she just hadn't noticed them. No one could out and out proposition someone, regulations forbade that, so things had to be approached cautiously. Kaori had gotten pretty good at reading a male boss' signals, but it seemed that she was somewhat oblivious to a woman's interest.

'Not that I've seen any such signs coming from Hotaru, either,' Kaoru reminded herself of that fact glumly.

Hotaru Tomoe was kind, polite, and warmly attentive to Kaori when they worked together, but that could simply be her being kind. Yes, she had even acted to protect Kaori when she insisted on acompaning her on a expedition to investigate Mistress Nine, but that might have just been her ordinary kindness.

"Ooh, I just don't know," Kaori groaned aloud.

"Don't know what, ma'am?" the Bio-boomer driving the taxi asked.

"Never mind," Kaori blushed, not having intended to say anything out loud.

"Sorry," the Bio-boomer cabby said cheerfully as they pulled up to Kaori's building. "Thank you for using our service, and please do so again."

"I'll do that," Kaori agreed, feeling just a bit unsteady as she left the cab.

Pulling her coat around her Kaori used her key card to gain access then headed upstairs, fumbling a bit as she unlocked her door. The apartment within reflected well on the corporate rising star that lived there, a luxurious kitchen/bedroom/den combination that a average office lady couldn't think of affording. Taking off her shoes and coat at the took she padded in socks through to her bedroom, flopping on the bed without even undressing.

"Jus' lay down a bit," Kaori mumbled, "get undressed later." A few moments later, and she was sound asleep.

Yuko Arimura looked up from the reception desk as Kaori rushed in, the stylishly dressed red head looking sultry and dangerous. "You look somewhat the worse for wear," she noted with a slight smile.

"Over indulged a bit," Kaori conceded, now dressed in her usual office wear, a dark skirt and suit top hugging her form.

"The media are still trying to get personal interviews with Miss Tomoe," Yuko handed the yellow message sheets over, "your personal secretary has also been fielding calls." Of course they all had electronic messaging, but many callers still insisted on leaving written messages such as these with staff.

"Oh, lovely," Kaori reluctantly took the papers with a sigh. "Is Miss Tomoe in yet?" she asked thoughtfully.

"No, but Mimi, Lulu and Yui are." Yuko looked sympathetic, "I assume the section heads are looking for a bit of guidence."

"Thanks," Kaori nodded, walking to the elevator.

Being second in command of Infinity was something Kaori had been doing for months, but at least now she had a title and pay to match her responsibilities. Though she often wondered if a larger office was really worth all the headaches she had to deal with. Still, she was doing this for Hotaru, so...

"Good morning, ma'am," her bio-boonmer secretary Cyprine nodded, her dark blue hair tied back in a complicated braid. Instead of business wear she was dressed in a black body suit with red trim, giving her a exotic look.

"Morning Cyprine," Kaori nodded graciously.

"You have additional messages from Mimi at public relations, Lulu in advertizing and Yui in resrearch and development," Cyprine reported brightly, "all claim to be urgent."

"They always are," Kaori said wryly. "The messages are in my inbox?" she asked.

"As usual, ma'am," Cyprine nodded. "Would you like for me to get you a coffee?" she asked in a perky sort of way.

"I'm fine, thanks," Kaori nodded as she went into her inner office.

Cyprine was one of the new model Bio-boomers, based off of improved designs derived from Doctor Mizuno's work, and the difference between her and earlier models was remarkable. She seemed much more personable and outgoing, as well as being quite frankly beautiful.

'I suspect we'll sell plenty to business men based off their looks alone,' Kaori thought wryly. Sitting behind her desk she took in her inbox with dismay, the stack of folders nearly a foot high despite the fact she had emptied it yesterday. "Oh well," she sighed as she pulled the first folder off the top of the stack, "time to work."

RING RING!

"Gah," Kaori sighed, picking up her phone. "Yes, Mimi?" she asked.

"How did you know it was me?" Mimi sounded annoyed, and Kaori could easily imagine the look on the blonde girl's face.

"Because you're the only perason I know of with the guts to use my private line," Kaori said, adding mentally, 'other than Miss Tomoe, of course.' Sorting documents she asked, "So what's going on now?"

"Well," Mimi paused then went into full on gossip queen mode.

Listening to her friend and co-worker natter on Kaori sighed. 'Why did I take this promotion again? Oh right, because Miss Tomoe asked me to,' she mused, waiting for Mimi to slow down enough for her to get a word in edgewise. Sadly, by the sound of it Mimi was going to be at this for awhile.

To be continued...

Notes: Yes, that's Ryouko from Arisugawa's Locket offering a sympathetic ear. All the staff mentioned in the Infinity bit are in fact members of the Witches Five in the anime/manga of Sailor Moon.


	18. Chapter 18

Senshi Sabers

Part Eighteen

Ami Mizuno drove with the same kind of efficiency she brought to most of her jobs, diverting just enough of her attention to the road while considering what else she was doing. 'Mistress Nine is still too much of a unknown,' she mused, 'I need more data.'

The parking garage was dark as the sports car smoothly slid to a stop, the shadows concealing the corners and making it a likely place for an ambush. Thankfully, Ami had already prepared for that possibility.

"Ami," Minako's voice came over the concealed ear piece, "I've scanned your surroundings with my suit sensors, there's only regular background noise. We're also ready to deploy if there's any boomer surprises."

"Thanks," Ami answered as she took the case from her car, the microphone in her suit collar transmitting her voice to the other Senshi Sabers.

Walking away from her car, Ami headed to space number A-29, the one they had arranged to meet at. A voice from the shadows called, "That's far enough, Ms Mizuno."

"You wanted to talk to me," Ami kept herself looking relaxed, "so talk."

"You brought the money?" the woman's voice asked warily.

"As I promised," Ami raised the case and set it on the back of a car, "and I can add a bonus too, if the information you provide is worth it." She popped the latch and opened it to reveal the bundles of cash within, "Well?"

"What do you want to know?" the woman sounded much more relaxed.

"Any and all information on Mistress Nine," Ami said to her calmly, "and the super Bio-Boomer project."

"Well," the woman's voice sounded amused, "I had heard you already had that data through Hotaru Tomoe."

"I'd like to corroborate that data," Ami answered mildly.

"Understood," the woman's voice became entirely business like, "here's what I know..."

Ami drove out of the garage nearly ten minutes later, case much lighter and her expression grim. "Did you record all that?" she asked as she pulled into traffic.

"Every word," Minako answered. "Do you want us to meet you back at the Silky Doll?"

"Please," Ami agreed, "we have much to discuss."

The Silky Doll lingerie and clothing shop was Ami's cover as well as her hobby, a place where she could put aside the incredible weight of her mission and deal with mundane things like convincing people to buy something a little more racy than they were used to.

The company van pulled in just as Ami arrived, the two of them pulling into the underground parking side by side. Ami slip from her seat gracefully, her silk skirt whispering as she waited for the others to get out of the van.

Makoto opened the driver's door and jumped down, her brown ponytail bouncing against the athletic woman's back. Minako bounced from the back, her golden hair sparkling even as Rei followed, her long black hair echoing her serious expression.

"Was this cloak and dagger crap worth it?" Rei asked, her leather jacket flapping around the slim woman. She looked sexy in the painted on jeans and muscle shirt, seemingly unaware of it as she stretched gracefully.

"I think we learned some new information," Ami managed, gulping past the arousal that tightened her throat.

"Thank god I didn't have a rehearsal today," Rei grumbled as they headed inside the store, "I think some of my bandmates are starting to wonder."

"They think you're a Senshi Saber?" Minako asked.

"No they think I have a secret girlfriend," Rei groused, "they're teasing the hell out of me over it."

Makoto chuckled, "Bring one of us over, we can pretend to be your girlfriend. Might ease off on the teasing."

"Sorry Mako-chan," Rei smiled wryly as they reached the elevator upstairs, "you're not really my usual type."

Ami hesitated but had to ask, "So what is your usual type?"

Rei looked over at Ami, faintly surprised to see such curiosity from the cool woman. "Usually the office lady type," she admitted, "and I've been known to help bring out the occasional curious straight girl."

"Ooh, bad girl," Minako teased as the elevator smoothly carried them up.

"Don't you run a fairly good chance of getting your heart broken with those kind of girls?" Makoto asked curiously.

"It's not that serious," Rei said with a cocky grin.

"Come on," Ami kept her voice tightly under control as she lead them out of the elevator then down the hall to the meeting room. Forcefully she tried to drive out any images of Rei and her probable conquests, but they teased the edges of her mind.

Minako raised a eyebrow at Ami's terse manner, the group of them following her into the meeting room only to see three women waiting there for them. She recognized Setsuna immediately, Ami's friend and associate sitting patiently waiting, but the two younger women she had difficulty placing.

"Ladies," Ami said briskly, "you all know Setsuna, of course, and her companions are Haruka Tenoh and Michiru Kaoru."

"Yo," Haruka waved hello, the sandy blonde casually sitting in one of the larger chairs beside Michiru.

"Ami," Rei fixed her with a look, "does this have something to do with their visiting a few days ago...?"

"I'm sorry that Ami didn't tell you the truth at the time," Setsuna quickly jumped in, "but I asked her not to talk about it."

"Something interesting happened?" Minako looked around interestedly.

"Not quite the way you think," Ami smiled slightly. "Grab a seat, everyone, this is going to take some time to explain."

Rei grabbed a chair and sat, the look in her eyes showing she had not forgiven Ami for any deception. Makoto sat with Minako as she also asked, "And does this have something to do with why you didn't want Haruka helping with her sports car a few weeks back, too?"

"Ami and Setsuna were trying to protect us," Michiru said with a certain kind of formal dignity, "forgive them."

"Protect from who?" Rei pushed, "Who the heck are you two anyway?"

Haruka's eyes narrowed a bit, "Watch the tone, Hino."

Ami cleared her throat loudly, preventing things from going any further. "If you don't mind," she said frostily, "I'd like a chance to explain."

"Well done," Setsuna smiled slightly.

"As many of you know there was a program to create Super Bio-boomers," Ami took on a faintly lecturing tone, "which so far has created five subjects. One of them is our opponent, Mistress Nine, and another is Hotaru Tomoe."

"And these three are the rest?" Minako offered. As everyone looked at her in surprise Minako shrugged:"Seemed like a good guess."

"Yes," Setsuna acknowledged, "I was the first prototype that DR. Mizuno created, while Haruka and Michiru represent the second generation."

"And Mistress Nine and Hotaru are the third?" Rei asked after a moment.

"More like one and a half," Ami cut in. "According to my source Tomoe was working with incomplete data when he created Hotaru and Nine," she revealed, "technically speaking Haruka and Michiru are more advanced."

"That's good, right?" Makoto asked, "They're stronger than her?"

"No, they're not," Setsuna jumped in.

"Huh?" Minako blinked.

"They're more advanced and simulate humans better," Setsuna said, "but that means their strength is actually closer to a real humans."

"Crap." Rei sighed. She looked over at Haruka, "So you and Michiru were at my concert because of Setsuna? Or Ami?"

"No," Haruka sighed, "we snuck out. And both of them gave us grief over it."

Makoto snickered softly, "I can imagine."

Rei, oddly, relaxed just a bit. "Good," she said, "I thought you were both fans and didn't want to be disappointed."

To be continued...


	19. Chapter 19

Senshi Sabers

Part Nineteen

"Ewwww!"

Ami Mizuno fought back a sigh, the ice blue armored figure slogging along with her companions. "What is it Minako?" she asked her a bit tiredly, feeling her darker blue hair sticking to her forehead beneath her helmet from sweat. 'I really must improve the cooling system,' she silently mused.

"I think I stepped on a rat," Minako Aino groaned as the lamps added to the shoulders of her golden armor lit up the darkness of the sewer they were slogging through. Thankfully the hardsuits kept the stench out, bit it still was an entirely unpleasant experience.

"Considering how big your butt is," Rei noted dryly, her blood red suit dingy with mist and mud, "the rat never stood a chance."

"Rei," Minako squeaked angrily.

"My girlfriend's butt is not big," Makoto said firmly, her dark green suit looking oddly at home in the murky depths.

'Why do I feel more like a baby sitter than a team leader?' Ami wondered mournfully. "Minako, sensors picking up any sign of that Bio-boomer we're tracking?" she asked, reminding them of why they were there.

"I'm picking up heat sources," Minako sounded disgusted, "but they're too small to be the target. Probably more rats."

"Is it a combat type, or just a normal rogue?" Rei asked, ducking beneath a dangling piece of moss as they slogged onward.

Ami sounded businesslike as she answered, "Reports on the attack say it was a standard type, but it was acting odd."

"You mean besides trying to kill someone?" Makoto asked as they turned, the tunnel tilting downward a bit.

"Besides that," Ami fought back a slight smile. "Apparently it tried to steal the heart-crystal from another Bio-boomer before fleeing," she said.

"That's weird," Minako said, sounding more than a bit surprised. However, she was so surprised that she wasn't watching where she was going, her booted foot coming down on something large, gooey and alive.

"Look out..." Makoto started to warn her, but it was already too late.

"AIEEEE!" Minako squealed as she lurched back, waving her arm and shaking her leg frantically to get whatever it was off her.

'Oh, give me strength,' Ami thought as Minako careened right into Rei and sent both women crashing to the muck and fluid covered base of the tunnel.

"MINAKO!" Rei roared, coming up covered in filth.

"Whaaa!" Minako wailed, dripping brown water and other stuff that should probably not be mentioned.

'Glad I was walking over here,' Makoto thought just a bit guiltily.

"Let's just get this over with," Ami strived to keep any amusement out of her voice as she told them, "the sooner we're done, the sooner we can go home and get cleaned up."

"And the sooner we can hose down these suits," Rei growled as she forced herself to her feet, a long strand of what looked like seaweed clinging to her gun-arm which she picked off with obvious distaste.

"Something's showing up on sensors," Minako tottered a bit as she reported, "though it might be a ghost from all the gook stuck on me."

"Location?" Makoto asked warily, her eyes sweeping the tunnel.

"Up ahead, maybe a hundred yards," Minako confirmed.

"Let's go, people," Ami ordered as the wet, messy and somewhat slimy group continued on down the tunnel.

Up ahead of them the sewer turned, and from around the corner a faint, flickering of light could be seen. As they grew nearer a odd splashing sound reach their ears, as well as what almost sounded like tearing. Slowing down a bit they cautiously approached, then peered around at a most unusual sight.

The female bio-boomer looked perfectly normal, her long pink hair falling in a shimmering wave down her back as she cheerfully splashed in the puddle of goo. Hanging up against the wall was a captive bio-boomer, it's arms secured to the wall as the woman carefully, lovingly cut it open. She peeled back the outer layer's of flesh as her captive passively watched, it's white blood dripping into the water.

"This is sick," Rei murmured, faintly surprised at feeling a bit ill.

With a final cut the heart-crystal was revealed, pulsing with life as it was carefully removed from the now dying bio-boomer. She cradled it reverently a moment, then raised it to her mouth, opened wide and swallowed it whole.

"Ugh," Makoto groaned softly.

"Makes a odd sort of sense." Ami murmured, "it's mouth and digestive system couldn't hurt the crystal anyway."

"Do we stop it?" Rei asked as the female walked away up the sewer tunnel away from where they hid.

"I can't promise I'll be able to track it if we lose sight of her," Minako anticipated the question before Ami could even ask, "there's too much interference and sensor echoes from the quake damage down here."

Ami made a fast decision, "Then we stop it. I want to examine it and see if we can find out why it's doing what it's doing."

"Then let's go," Rei broke cover and took off, the artificial muscles of her hardsuit sending her racing down the tunnel with incredible speed.

Makoto, Ami and Minako hurried after her even as Ami thought irritably, 'When am I going to remember she doesn't wait for orders?'

The bio-boomer wheeled around as she heard Rei near, her eyes glowing red as she quickly assessed her foes. With remarkable ease she ducked under Rei's punch then struck, hammering Rei in the gut and sending her reeling backwards.

'Not a normal bio-boomer,' Makoto thought as she closed with her, throwing a cautious jab and watching her react. 'Programmed with unarmed fighting routines?' she thought as the bio-boomer did a perfect block, 'interesting.'

Minako detonated a flash bomb, knowing that Makoto's visor would automatically protect her, then took the opportunity to do a close in scan. "Ami," she used their radios to report, "it's much denser than a normal bio-boomer!"

"Look out," Ami warned as she closed in, extended arm blades trailing ice, "it's probably much stronger than normal."

"I kind of guessed that," Rei growled as she pushed herself up from where she had hit the wall. Raising a dripping arm she waited till Ami was done her rapid slashing strike, aimed at a gap in the thing's outer skin then fired.

The needle zipped through the air, imbedding in the shoulder of the bio-boomer, slowing it a moment. Then it exploded, shredding artificial flesh as the bio-boomer gave a very human howl of pain, it's severed arm dropping smoking to the tunnel floor.

"Yes," Makoto seized her chance, the cutting cables of her hardsuit lashing out to sever the bio-boomer's head from it's shoulders.

"Mistress..." the bio-boomer hissed as it's head bounced to rest against the wall, then stopped as the light in it's eyes went out. At the same time it's body stiffened then dropped, much like a puppet who's strings had been cut.

"Well that was creepy," Minako murmured. "Could someone else please carry the head?" she asked quietly.

"Wimp," Rei said as she walked over and picked up the now soggy head from where it had fallen into the filth.

"And proud of it," Minako agreed even as her lover picked up the bio-boomer with a soft grunt of effort.

"Let's get back to the surface," Makoto said as they all headed back the way they came, "I think my suit is sticking in places I don't want to think about."

'Was she going to say Mistress Nine?' Ami wondered, walking along with the others and ignoring their somewhat joking banter. 'If so, does that mean she was gathering the crystals for Nine? And if so, why?'

"You all right?" Rei asked as they slogged slowly upwards.

Ami gave Rei a look, "I should be asking you that very same question. That was quite a hit you took."

"I'm fine," Rei said quickly. A hard look from Ami and she conceded, "All right, I'm sore, but I'm fine."

"I'll look you over when we get back to the van," Ami said, not letting on how her heart raced at the idea of looking Rei over like that.

"Thanks," Rei said quietly.

To be continued...


	20. Chapter 20

Senshi Sabers

Part Twenty

Catsy smiled charmingly at the blonde customer, the purple haired young woman holding up a lacey two piece. "What do you think?" she asked.

"I don't know," she frowned, "it's not really my style."

"You were commenting that your boyfriend wasn't paying you enough attention," Catsy reminded her, "wearing this, he's sure to notice you."

"Well," the young lady blushed, "that's true."

A sale and one happy customer later and Catsy sighed, leaning up against the till at the prominent lingerie shop, the Silky Doll. All around her were frilly items of one time or another, bras, panties and night gowns all set up to draw the eye and inflame the imagination.

"What a day," Birdy sighed. Catsy's adopted sister looked a little tired, her long blue hair tied back in a braid as she walked over to grab her bottle of water from the counter.

"We did pretty good, tho," Catsy chuckled.

Both women jerked as they heard a woman yell, "God damned son of a bitch!"

"Rei?" Birdy blinked.

"Rei," Catsy agreed.

Upstairs, Rei Hino winced as she cradled her arm, the cast covering it from wrist to elbow. "Sorry," the long black haired woman gritted her teeth as she said, "I'm still getting used to this damn thing."

"You should have told us you broke it in the tunnels," Ami said fiercely as she helped fluff up a cushion for her seat, "I would have taken us straight to the hospital, rather than coming back here first."

"Ditching the hardsuits would have been tough," Rei pointed out, glad she was dressed in just t-shirt and jeans, "besides, I didn't know I had broken it at first. I though it was just bruised from that thing throwing me around."

"All right," Ami sighed as she down sat across from Rei in her living room. "How are things with your band?" she asked worriedly.

Rei shrugged a bit uncomfortably. "They're going to have to find a temporary lead singer until I heal up," she said to her flatly, "there's no way that I can jump around stage and preform with this on me."

Ami winced, "I'm sorry." She hesitated, "Because it happened on one of my jobs, I'll compensate you for any lost wages..."

"Ami," Rei gave her a look, "it isn't your fault."

"I was responsible," Ami shook her head.

Rei rolled her eyes, sitting back with a sigh in the comfortable chair. Changing the subject she said, "I think I know who you can put in my suit until the cast comes off."

"Of?" Ami looked at her curiously.

"Haruka," Rei said, "we're about the same height, and from what I've seen she's got the guts to handle the missions we have."

Ami actually looked a bit startled, "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I am," Rei agreed. She smiled slightly, "And if you and Setsuna are still interested in hiding her and Michiru, what better place than in a suit of battle armor?"

"Heh," Ami smiled, good point.

"Miss Hino," the Mercury computer system asked politely, "would you like a cup of tea or some coffee?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Rei answered, trying not to look too hard at Ami. More and more she was developing an awareness of the other woman, her slim body dressed in suits that should have looked conservative but on her were just sexy.

'Damn it,' Rei mused as Ami sipped her tea, 'no one should look that good in a suit.'

Putting her tea cup down Ami asked a bit nervously, "How are you managing at home?"

Rei rolled her eyes, "I'm all right. The cast gets in the way a bit, but as long as I can open cans or run the microwave, I'll keep myself fed."

Ami winced, all the while trying not to look at the woman lounging so comfortably in her living room. Rei had a feral sexiness that radiated from her, even with the broken arm slowing her down, and to make it worse the worn jeans looked painted on her skin. The ragged t-shirt was battered enough to show Rei wasn't wearing a bra, and Ami had to close her eyes to banish the mental image of that sweet flesh.

"I was wondering," Ami said a bit uncomfortably, a light blush coloring her cheeks, "if you'd like to stay here until you recover?"

"I..." Rei blinked, wondering if Ami might have some ulterior motive for making the offer. After a moment she asked, "Does that mean I'd have to cook?"

Ami smiled slightly, "Actually, Mercury would be handling most of that." She chuckled, "But I could certainly have her microwave something, just so you'd feel at home."

Rei awkwardly picked up a cushion from the chair with her good left arm and pitched it at Ami, "Gee, thanks."

"So you'll stay?" Ami asked.

Rei shrugged, "For a few days, anyway."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Later that evening across town, two young women walked along the street, window shopping as they looked into various stores. The taller girl moved with a dangerous sort of grace, her green dress swirling around her as her long brown ponytail swung in the breeze. Beside her a pretty blonde smiled and held her arm, her red dress clinging to her body sexily.

"Mako-chan?" Minako asked, her blonde tresses gleaming in the sun.

"Yes?" Makoto asked, her brown hair pushed back from her face by a green headband.

Minako smirked, "What are we going to do about Ami and Rei?"

"Should we do anything?" Makoto asked reasonably.

"The sexual tension between them is getting dangerous," Minako sighed, "if the electricity in the air keeps up, they'll blow a fuse."

"You're just a hopeless match maker," Makoto laughed.

"Well, that too," MInako admitted. "You don't think they'd make a good pair?" she asked her lover curiously.

"If they didn't kill each other first," Makoto mused. "You have to admit, they're both very take charge kind of women," she noted.

"I suppose there is going to be some wrestling for dominance," Minako conceded.

"Some?" Makoto teased as they stopped in front of a clothing store.

Minako chuckled, "All right, a lot."

Makoto looked at a green business suit thoughtfully as she mused, "You'd think working around sexy clothes all day would give Ami some ideas, but no..."

"Maybe she's just too used to them?" Minako guessed.

"Could be," Makoto said as they started off again. She smiled, "I heard something interesting from Catsy, though."

"Oh?" Minako looked curious.

"Apparently, Ami has offered to take care of Rei until her broken arm has healed up," Makoto revealed.

"Well, well," Minako grinned, "maybe Ami is doing something on her own!"

"No," Makoto shook her head, "I bet it's more guilt over Rei being hurt." She smiled, "But those two, in her apartment alone..."

"That could certainly lead to something," Minako agreed. She tapped a finger against her chin, "And with the right help, of course."

"What are you plotting, m'love?" Makoto asked her as they headed towards one of their favorite local cafes.

"Just thinking of asking Mercury a favor," Minako admitted, "put a romantic movie on, some nice finger food and let nature take it's course."

"Some wine, too," Makoto noted as they were greeted by the cafe's owner by name, "to bring down their inhibitions a bit."

"Sounds like a plan," Minako agreed as they walked to their favorite table.

Makoto held out Minako's chair then pushed it gently in. "We'll have to make sure Birdy and Catsy are on board," she said as she took her seat, "as well as Setsuna, just in case."

"Think she'd help?" Minako asked, looking over the menu.

Makoto shrugged, "Setsuna worries about Ami, from what I've seen, she'd want her to be happy."

To be continued...


	21. Chapter 21

Senshi Sabers

Explosions lit up the night in a sullen red glare as the Infinity lab burned, fires crackling along the hallways as people screamed and died. Along the hallways a figure walked, a slim young woman with black hair who was nude as the day she was born.

Around the corner a security team came, armor gleaming as they brought weapons up, rifles ready. But before they could fire the woman gestured, eyes glowing purple as the bio-boomers jerked, bodies twisting and swelling amid their human handlers. With a painful roar they turned on their comrades, striking with inhuman strength as men screamed.

Striding through the blood and gore the woman smiled, looking up at one of the few functioning security cameras. "Hello, sister," she smiled, her cold expression making her look all the more chilling, "I'll see you soon."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sitting in her office Hotaru Tomoe shuddered as she looked at her twin's face then shut the monitor off. Black hair fell into her violet eyes as she look at her assistant and asked, "What were our losses?"

"Fifty men killed," Kaori Knight replied quietly, "and the facility is a total loss." The redhead put the papers down, "I've sent letters to the families, with our deepest apologies."

"You didn't have to do that," Hotaru said quietly, "I would have..."

Kaori smiled grimly, "It's all right, ma'am. I wanted to do it."

Hotaru sat back, feeling tired. She had been woken from a sound sleep as the first alarms went off, hurrying in to headquarters only to find out that the facility had been destroyed in less than a hour. AD Police sealed off the building but only found mutated bio-boomers, dead workers and purged computers. Only one digital record survived in a sealed database, planted there somehow by their enemy.

Hotaru frowned as she reviewed the record, "And Mistress Nine took nothing? She just destroyed the facility for no reason?"

"We're still reviewing inventories and logs," Kaori said, "but yes, it appears she went in, destroyed the facility and left."

"No," Hotaru shook her head grimly as she said, "there's one reason."

"Oh?" Kaori looked curious at her superior.

Hotaru gestured to the now dark computer screen as she said flatly, "She may have done this just to send me a message."

"I hope not, ma'am," Kaori sighed softly.

Just then the intercom buzzed. "Yes?" Hotaru asked.

Outside her secretary nervously said, "Ma'am, the AD Police are here to see you."

"Send them in," Hotaru ordered. Looking up at Kaori she smiled slightly, "Could you stick around, please?"

Of course," Kaori smiled reassuringly.

The two women who entered the office looked like near physical opposites, the tall slim blonde and the shorter, brown haired girl. Usagi Tsukino lead the way, presenting her identification to Hotaru, followed by Naru Osaka.

"Ms. Tomoe," Usagi said briskly, "thank you for agreeing to see us so soon."

Hotaru gave a cool smile as she waved them to waiting chairs, "I'm always eager to help the Police in their investigations."

"Nice change of pace," Naru murmured softly.

Kaori chuckled then covered it with a cough. "Sorry," she said, "dry air."

Simply ignoring that comment Hotaru introduced Kaori, then met Usagi's gaze calmly. "How can we help you?" she asked.

"As you can guess, we're investigating the attack on your research facility," Usagi said, "do you have any idea of why it would be attacked?"

"We're still examining files and taking inventory," Hotaru admitted, "but so far we haven't found anything."

Naru leaned forward and asked, "I understand there was some security scans recovered?"

"Most of the cameras were destroyed," Kaoru said smoothly.

Smoothly following that Hotaru said, "But we did recover a fragment."

Kaori nearly said something, but restrained herself. 'What is Ms. Tomoe up to?' she silently wondered.

Activating the monitor, Hotaru brought up the clip. There was a burst of static then a face similar to Hotaru's look up, "I'll be seeing you soon."

Usagi made a note on her personal organizer, "She looks like you."

"My father used some of my DNA in the creation of certain bio-boomer prototypes," Hotaru cooly explained, "it may be she's one of them."

"Do you have any information on her design?" Naru wondered, her expression plainly skeptical of what Hotaru was saying.

"Only partial data," Kaori interrupted smoothly, "but we'll forward that and any other relevant files to you."

Usagi nodded, "Thank you." She studied both executives, "There's always been rumors about the 'planet' series... super advanced Bio-boomers. This woman wouldn't happen to be one, would she?"

'She's more informed than I thought,' Hotaru mused, mildly impressed. "It's just a rumor, I assure you," she said casually, "if there really was an advanced design, don't you think we'd be selling them?"

"Thank you for your help," Usagi said formally as she rose leaning on the desk a moment, Naru following. "We'll be contacting you to follow up soon."

Hotaru offered her hand, "Sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble," Usagi shook it firmly then she and Naru left.

"Ma'am..." Kaori started.

Hotaru waved her to silence as she went around her desk to where Usagi had been sitting. Feeling under the top of the desk where Usagi had put her hand just moments before Hotaru produced a small electronic device. "Oh, someone must have misplaced this," she said loudly before crunching it between her fingers.

"A listening device?" Kaori looked shocked.

"Not unreasonable," Hotaru said as she sat back down, "considering my father's reputation I can't blame them for being suspicious."

"Is that even legal?" Kaori wondered.

"It wouldn't need to be," Hotaru shrugged as she sat back down, "as long as it provided them with some leads." She sat back in her chair as she considered the situation. "I've got new guidelines for our security forces," she said briskly.

"Yes?" Kaori produced her notebook computer from her suit pocket.

"No one is to attempt to engage Mistress Nine," Hotaru said, "instead I want a priority call to me, day or night. Also, all facilities are to be evacuated if she's spotted."

"Isn't the last a bit excessive?" Kaori asked tentatively.

Hotaru shook her head, "Frankly, we still know too little about what she's capable of. I am not risking any more employees until we have a handle on her."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Usagi paused in the car, both she and Naru listening closely. "Very clever," Usagi admitted as they listened, "you planting a second device."

Naru chuckled, "Thank you." She paused, "Ms Knight's right, tho. We won't be able to use any of this as evidence."

"I'm not looking for evidence," Usagi said with a shrug, "I'm looking for leads."

They listened to the evacuation plans with raised eyebrows. "She's not cut from the same cloth as her father," Naru noted.

"She gave that thing a name," Usagi noted interestedly, "Mistress Nine. It looks like she DOES know more than she's telling."

"Not that a name tells us much," Naru noted cynically as she added information to her notebook, "but I'll do a search on it, just in case."

"Thanks," Usagi said as she listened. "Damn, they've stopped."

"Sound like they've left the office," Naru admitted. "The bug will keep sending for awhile, so if something else comes up we'll get it."

"All right," Usagi set the system on record, "let's head back out to the factory. Maybe the forensics people have found something."

"And what do we do if the Senshi get involved?" Naru wondered as Usagi put the car into drive and pulled away from Infinity.

"We are still under orders to arrest them," Usagi noted.

"But..." Naru heard it in her voice.

"If we're still blocked," Usagi admitted, "I might try to see what they know, too."

To be continued...


	22. Chapter 22

Senshi Sabers

Chapter 22

Earthquakes had shifted the city of Tokyo in years past, sinking and moving sections of the city as men and women fled for their lives. In addition to the standard losses of common goods there were labs and facilities that sank into the earth, forming pockets of livable space beneath the rebuilt city.

The bio-boomer Prof. Tomoe had called Mistress Nine and whom simply referred to herself as Nine had taken such a pocket of technology as her home. Using her unique gifts she successfully stole power from the world above along with data access, providing herself all the comforts of home.

'Well, all the comforts if your home is a containment cell,' Nine mused as she studied the latest data on Infinity and the actions of it's board. Data taps and spy cams gave her a ringside seat of their lives, feeding the anger burning within her.

Nine had been mentally a child when she was activated, trusting her 'father' and his staff as any child would a adult. But they had betrayed her, attempting to kill her first then imprisoning her deep beneath the ground for the crime of being different. Now Nine was free, and she was determined to make the ones who had hurt her pay.

"Like the members of the staff at that time,' Nine mused as she scrolled through the data. Most of the executives who had been in charge when Nine was sealed were dead, but a few lingered on either in retirement or otherwise. She downloaded confidential files with frightening ease, then reviewed them as she looked out the window.

Outside of the ruined building on the floor of the cavern was the birthplace of Nine's children, the bio-boomers she had needed her servant to gather crystals for. The bio-generation and nano-technological wombs she had cobbled together did their work, growing her new servants and the generals that would lead her armies.

One of her new daughters waited by the door to Nine' room, her silver white hair flowing down her body as she watched the tunnels into their sanctuary. She was taller than Nine, willowy yet full figured, her body radiating a dangerous sex appeal. "Mistress," Viluy said respectfully as the jumpsuit wearing woman asked, "is it time yet?"

"They'll be born when they're ready," Nine reassured the other woman tenderly, glad her modifications shielded her inner circle from her madness causing fields.

"I can't wait," Viluy smiled coldly, "because then we will rise up and the streets of Megatokyo will run with blood."

"Agreed," Nine nodded as she reached out to squeeze Viluy's shoulder, "and I have an idea to start making them pay."

"Just tell me what I can do," Viluy said eagerly.

And with a grin that could only be described as evil Nine summarized her intentions as she showed her child a few pages from the file. A plan finalized Viluy left, armed and ready for what was coming and filled with the same sort of hate that drove on Nine.

Some hours later and high above the sanctuary Viluy strode along the street in borrowed clothes, her looks drawing eyes that would soon be forgotten. It was a odd fact that the exceptionally beautiful were often less remembered than the average or the ugly looking, as if honest ugliness were more easily recalled. Dressed in a mini-skirt and tube top she looked trashier than most, which was exactly her intention.

Right on cue the old sports car cased the street as Viluy swivel hipped her way to the corner, striking a sexy pose as she waited. The car slowed to take a quick look then hurried on, checking for undercover cops, then came around to slow in front of her. The window rolled down and Viluy studied the driver even as he did her.

"You mind serving a older customer?" he asked bluntly, dressed in a almost stereotypical suit with matching hat.

"No problem," Viluy flipped her hair back casually.

Drawing his cap down shyly he adds, "And a woman?"

Viluy gave a sexy grin as she nearly purred, "Even better."

The driver studied her another moment then popped the locks, "Get in."

The woman sitting in the back seat was well preserved for her near fifty years of age, her red hair falling past her shoulders with few traces of grey. Natsumi Ginga had been a developer at Infinity, then rose through the ranks until being recently retired by Hotaru Tomoe. Personally Viluy doubted she was fired for her many misdeeds, but instead because of her being such an enthusiastic supporter of the elder Tomoe.

"Oooh," Natsumi smiled as she reached out to run a still smooth hand over Viluy's thigh, "very nice."

Viluy smiled back at the still attractive older lady, "You look good yourself."

Natsumi chuckled, "Charmer."

Viluy sat back as she smiled sexily at Natsumi, spreading her legs just a bit. "So," she purred, "what do you want to do now?"

Natsumi raised a eyebrow as she rubbed the younger woman's skin, "Any suggestions?"

Viluy shifted a bit in the seat, letting Natsumi's hand slide up a bit more. "Cars are fun," she murmured, "but... I'd like to take my time, if you know what I mean."

"Hmm," Natsumi's eyes widened as she realized her escort wasn't wearing panties. "Someplace where we can stretch out a bit?" she offered as she let her fingers drift.

"Exactly," Viluy nodded, her cheeks a bit red with excitement.

Not removing her one hand from it's explorations Natsumi pressed the intercom button, "Home, Umino."

"Are you sure that's wise, ma'am?" Umino asked as he obediently set out.

"No," Natsumi smirked before she turned of the intercom, "that's what's so fun about it."

Not more than twenty minutes later they were trying to get into Natsumi's suite, Viluy holding onto her arm possessively. "I'm sure we scandalized the passengers in the elevator," Viluy laughed softly as Natsumi used her keys to open the locks.

"They could use a shock," Natsumi laughed as they went inside.

The door closed with a click, the automatic lock engaging as Viluy sexily asked, "Are we alone here?"

"All alone," Natsumi agreed as she opened the curtains to gave out at the city lights.

"I'm sorry," Viluy murmured, Natsumi having only a moment to wonder why before the first blow rendered her unconscious, the second strike fatal.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Who called it in?" Usagi Tsukino asked as the blonde officer scanned the crime scene, taking in the bloody smear by the window and the otherwise clean place. She was dressed for work, a simple jacket and pants combination that was fairly forgiving if she had to crawl around or get dirty.

"The driver,"Naru checked her notes as the shorter brown haired woman in a similar outfit answered, "he was concerned because his employer didn't usually bring call girls home..."

"Obviously a policy she should have continued to follow," Usagi crossed the carpet to the blood stain, "So the perp killed her here then moved the body?"

"To the bedroom," Naru nodded in that direction, "it's... messy."

"Great," Usagi muttered as she lead the way, peering inside the room only to pale slightly.

The victim had been deliberately bled out then tossed on the bed, the blood splattered across the room in a planned pattern. Taking it in Usagi frowned, wondering what a eight turned on it's side meant to the killer or killers.

Clearing her throat Naru said, "That's a mobius strip... it's a symbol of infinity."

Usagi groaned softly, "Don't tell me."

"Miss Natsumi Ginga was a long time employee of Infinity, until she was let go a few months ago," Naru confirmed.

"I told you not to tell me," Usagi sighed. "So that's why we were called in," she muttered, "they think a bio-boomer did this."

"Sorry," Naru said quietly.

Usagi looked to the head crime scene investigator, "Pull the security tapes in and out of the building, I want a description of the perp ASAP."

"Right," the chief nodded seriously, "standard fingerprints will be done, but I'm not expecting much joy."

"Clean crime scene?" Naru asked.

"Extremely so," another tech offered, "so far we've only found traces, and those may just be from the victim or her staff."

"Do your best," Usagi said as she turned around to look over the whole suite once again. 'What's the motive?' she wondered. 'Is this a strategic move, or is someone just sending a message? And to whom?'

Just then a loud argument broke out at the door to the suit, a familiar voice saying, "I demand you let me in there!"

"Miss Tomoe, please..." the officer said weakly.

Hotaru Tomoe brushed by him with the supreme self confidence that comes from being able to buy and sell someone with just their pocket change. "Who's in charge here?" she asked, looking around with a frosty gaze.

"That'd be me," Usagi answered her honestly, knowing that this was probably the beginning of a very long day.

To be continued...


	23. Chapter 23

Senshi Sabers

Chapter 23

Ami Mizuno frowned as she hurried to the command center she had built beneath the Silky Doll, the blue haired woman's normally stylish look ruffled by interrupted sleep. Despite the early hour she still wore a stylish set of dress pants and a white, button up shirt, the only concession to the time being her slippers. She picked up a set of headphones on the console as she took a seat in front of the monitor and asked, "Mina, are you ready?"

Perched on the roof of one of Tokyo's many skycrapers Minako Aino's armored form knelt, concealed from view but still with a line of sight to a certain suite. "I'm in position," the brassy blonde said, "deploying directional scanners now."

The relayed data was static distorted at first, but soon Mina was relaying crystal clear images of the inside of the suite, including the officers and others. "Usagi Tsukino," Ami noted the blonde's presence, "it's a boomer crime, then."

"They're leaving the living room," Minako said, "and the blinds are drawn on the bedroom, but I'll try using infrared."

Heat patterns resolved on the screen, indicating people moving about, as well as a cooling presence on the bed. 'A body?' Ami wondered. "Any chance of tapping the crime scene techs data streams?"

"From here?" Mina said a bit disbelievingly. She paused for a moment then smiled as she murmured, "Well, I always like a challenge."

The screen was still long moments as Mina worked away, and Ami bit her lip to stop herself from jumping in. Finally a split screen appeared as a video link came up, a bit wobbly but clear. The inside of the bedroom was a bloody mess, and a infinity symbol had been painted on the wall in blood.

"I tapped into a video feed back to AD Police," Mina murmured as the camera panned around, "don't know how long they'll broadcast, tho."

Having set her computer to record all of the data Ami studied the images, frowning in thought. 'Not your typical boomer killing,' she silently noted, 'other than the blood spilled there's been almost no damage done to the corpse. A boomer would tear it apart, especially if it had gone rouge.'

"The woman on the bed," Mina said as she continued to scan and relay data, "she looks kind of familiar to me."

"That's because she's a former member of Infinity's research and development branch ," Ami noted coolly, "Natsumi Ginga."

"Not a nice woman," Mina agreed, recalling some of the less pleasant rumors that had circulated about her. She paused as another heat source entered, "New arrival."

"Hotaru," Ami nodded in recognition as the woman entered the room and calmly began grilling Usagi on the case.

"Wish we were getting sound, too," Mina said, sounding disappointed.

'Wonder if I should tell her I can read lips?' Ami mused as she recorded the conversation for later analysis.

"Do I need to armor up?" Makoto Kino asked as she strode into the room, dressed in the form fitting under suit their armor required. She had driven Minako here from her apartment, but Mina had asked her not to go with her on this mission. On one hand Makoto could see that Mina's stealth abilities would be better on her own, but on the other she hated leaving Mina out there without backup.

"Not yet," Ami said calmly as she turned towards the other woman, "this is just a surveilance job, so far."

"Do we need to call Rei?" Makoto added.

"I don't expect so," Ami smiled faintly, "I'm sure you and I can handle any emergency that might come up. Besides, with her broken arm in the way...."

Silently, Makoto wondered how Rei was doing staying here with Ami. The two women seemed to strike sparks off each other very often, yet there was also a underlying attraction. 'Those two need to get laid,' she thought wryly, 'or one of them is going to kill the other.'

"And there goes Hotaru with Kaori Knight," Ami noted as the two women left the crime scene.

"Think she'll call you?" Minako asked as they watched the crime scene team carefully take the samples from all over both rooms, not to mention recording massive amounts of data.

Before Ami could answer her personal line rang, the noise loud in the monitoring room. Gesturing the others to silence Ami picked up the lab's phone as she answered calmly, "Mizuno residence, Ami speaking."

"Hotaru Tomoe," the young woman answered grimly, "we've got a problem."

"Are you on a secure line?" Ami asked quietly.

Hotaru paused, "This line runs through a Infinity satellite hub rather than the regular telecom network. It's about as secure as it gets."

"Fair enough," Ami answered her calmly, "then I should let you know I'm aware of Natsumi Ginga's death."

"How...?" Hotaru sounded surprised.

"I have my ways," Ami answered simply.

Hotaru sighed softly, but loud enough to be heard over the phone. "I wanted to suggest you be careful," she said, "if this is a vendetta connected to Infinity, you might be a target because of your mother."

'I hadn't considered that possibility,' Ami frowned in thought. "Thank you," she said aloud, "I'll take extra precautions."

"As will I," Hotaru agreed. A beeping tone indicated someone else wanted on the line and she sighed, "Duty calls, it seems. I'll be in touch if I learn more."

"I'll keep you informed," Ami agreed as she turned to the screen, watching the crime scene experts finish up.

"Thank you," and Hotaru hung up.

"Mina," Ami said, "I think you can move out. Anything more I can get by raiding the AD Police servers."

"I'll help with that," Mina agreed as she stood up, moving into the shadow of the building as she stretched. "I'll be back at base in a few minutes," she said, taking a running start then bounding off the side of the building.

"I'll be down in the armor bays when she arrives," Makoto said as she walked towards the elevator, already thinking of how she would help Mina out of her suit....

Ami turned slightly, "Remember I have video cameras down there this time! It's really embarrassing having to erase what you two get to doing."

"Sorry," Makoto chuckled, smiling as the elevator door slid shut.

"Geeze," Ami sighed as she got up, only pausing to make sure all the data was saved.

"Standard security protocols, Miss Mizuno?" the Mercury computer asked as Ami was waiting for the elevator to come back.

"Level two security," Ami said after a moment's thought, "including full bio-scans for enterance and exit."

"Understood," Mercury answered as the elevator arrived and Ami rode it up to the residential wing of her building.

The suite was as clean as when Ami left it this morning, except for the woman sprawled on the couch. Rei hino lay on top of the sheet with her black hair fanning around her, her right arm immobilized in a cast. She slept in a baggy t-shirt and panties, revealing a body that made Ami's mouth suddenly go dry.

"Such a slob," Ami murmured to herself as she took the sheet and reluctantly covered up her houseguest.

"Hmm," Rei stirred, shifting as her eyes opened and she blinked drowsily up at Ami.

"Sorry," Ami apologized, "I was just trying to cover you up."

Rei sat up, rubbing at her eyes one handed. "S'all right," she said, "something come up?"

Ami gulped, trying not to notice as the torn shirt shifted, revealing that Rei was not wearing a bra to bed. "Someone killed a former Infinity executive," Ami kept her voice level as she sat down on the end of the couch as far away from Rei as possible, "I sent Minako out to monitor the crime scene."

Rei frowned, "You think it's connected to Mistress Nine?"

Ami sighed, "I'm tempted to assume it is, but there are a lot of people with reasons to have a vendetta against Infinity and the Tomoe family."

"You got that right," Rei grimaced, sitting sideways on the couch, her slim, athletic body mostly exposed to Ami's view.

Ami got up suddenly, deciding retreat might be the better paet of valor right then. "I'd better try to get back to bed," she said gruffly, "it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

Rei reached out quickly with her good arm, catching Ami's hand, "Wait, damn it." As Ami looked back at her Rei let go, meeting her eyes as she asked, "Is my being here that much of a problem? I wouldn't have agreed to stay if...."

Ami felt a burst of shame as she met those pained eyes. "It...," Ami trailed off, then made herself say, "It's not that I don't want you here, it's that I want you too much."

"Huh?" Rei blinked, stunned by Ami putting into words the tension that had shimmered between them so long.

"I'm sorry," and with that Ami pulled free and fled the room.

To be continued....


	24. Chapter 24

Senshi Sabers

Chapter 23

Rei Hino frowned as she listened to Ami summarize the death of a high ranking infinity representative. "You think it's connected to Mistress Nine?" she asked.

Rei watched Ami as she sighed, feeling a surge of sympathy for the blue haired young woman. "I'm tempted to assume it is, but there are a lot of people with reasons to have a vendetta against Infinity and the Tomoe family," she noted.

"You got that right," Rei made a face as she sat up on the couch, wincing a bit as she tried to avoid thumping her cast covered arm.

Ami got up suddenly, making Rei blink up at her in bewildered surprise.. "I'd better try to get back to bed," she said in a gruff tone of voice, "it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

As Ami tried to hurry off Rei grabbed at her with her good hand, "Wait, damn it." As Ami looked back at her Rei let go, meeting her eyes as she asked, "Is my being here that much of a problem? I wouldn't have agreed to stay if...."

"It...," Ami trailed off, then said in the oddest tone of voice, "It's not that I don't want you here, it's that I want you too much."

"Huh?" Rei blinked, feeling more than a little stunned that Ami had put into words the tension that had shimmered between them so long.

"I'm sorry," and with that Ami pulled free from Rei's now weakened grip and fled the room like some drama star.

Rei sat there a moment, still not sure she had heard Ami say what she had. Shaking her head she made herself get up, swaying a little tiredly. 'I can't just leave it at that,' she decided, hurrying after the other woman.

The upper floor of the Silky Doll was partially Ami's living space as well as being a place for Senshi Saber meetings and other activities. As a side effect there were more than a few rooms for Rei to check, her search finally ending at the door to Ami's bedroom. A search aided, rather surprisingly, by the Mercury computer.

"Ami?" Rei tapped on the door firmly with her knuckle, "We need to talk."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Ami answered, her voice a lot more subdued than Rei was used to hearing.

Rei took a deep breath then puffed it out, trying to summon up her courage. "Ami," Rei said as she let her head rest against the door, "I want you, too."

There was a long moment of silence, then Rei heard movement coming towards the door. Ami opened the door, her expression serious as she look at Rei and said, "If you're lying to me I shall be very upset." Her usual clothes were gone, instead Ami wore a simple one piece nightie that left very little for the imagination.

Rei gulped, then managed to smile at her, "I wouldn't do that to you."

Ami smiled back a bit weakly, "I'm rather new at this, Rei."

"And yet you run a lingerie shop?" Rei asked as raised her eyebrows, trying to lighten up the tone a bit.

"What can I say, I spent a long time studying theory...," Ami shrugged.

Rei hesitated, then took a step towards Ami, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. "Ami," she instructed quietly, "be quiet for a second."

"Huh?" Ami started only to be silenced by Rei gently pressing her lips to her's.

Rei was pleasantly surprised at how good a kisser Ami was, reflexedly pressing their bodies close together. Also, Ami had some very nice curves, even if she usually hid them under those stylish business suits.

Ami sounded more than a bit breathless as she gasped, "That was... very nice."

"Oh yeah," Rei agreed as she kept a arm wrapped round her. She smiled as she leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Why don't we go back into your bedroom and... talk about this sone more?"

"I think I'd like that," Ami started to say right before they both heard someone coming up the hall at them.

Rei gave her a questioning look and Ami reluctantly pulled away. Straightening up she saw Makoto and Minako hurrying up the hall. "Setsuna Meiou is outside," Minako said, the blonde giving them both a thoughtful look

"Of course she is," Ami sighed.

"Did we interrupt something?" Makoto asked, a slight smile on her face as she tapped her lips with a finger.

Rei felt herself blushing, realizing she had smeared Ami's lipstick, no to mention gotten some on herself. "No jokes," she warned them both flatly.

"Wouldn't dream of it," MInako answered quickly.

"Could one of you please let Setsuna in?" Ami asked them with a sigh, "I need to get dressed again, it seems."

"We'll do it," Makoto agreed, taking Minako by the arm and bodily dragging the blonde away from Ami and Rei.

"My timing sucks yet again," Rei noted with a frustrated sigh.

"Maybe," Ami smiled at her with a degree of her usual confidence, "but I want us back here as soon as we can."

Smiling back Rei agreed, "Me too." Rather reluctantly she stepped a bit farther away as she wryly added, "I'd better get dressed too, or we're going to end up doing something that makes us both late."

"You have no idea how much I want to make Setsuna wait," Ami admitted before turning around and swiftly shutting the bedroom door.

"Probably almost as much as I do," Rei sighed mostly to herself as she hurried to her temporary room and started searching for her clothes. Leaving on her battered t-shirt she found some mostly clean jeans in a duffle bag and pulled them on, then paused to check herself over in the bathroom.

The smear of lipstick on Rei's lips made her pause and grab some toilet paper. Hesitating a moment she wadded it up and stuffed it into her bag, tossing it on the couch before heading to the meeting room. It was strange, saving the traces of that first kiss, but she didn't care.

The meeting room was quiet as Rei entered, and she could feel Minako and Makoto's questioning glances on her. Ignoring them she nodded to Setsuna as she sat down at the table, choosing a spot across from Ami.

"I'm sorry to disturb you all," Setsuna said, the tall woman's dark green-black hair shimmering in the light, "but there's been a second killing."

Ami's eyes narrowed as she noted, "Nothing's come up on my AD police taps...."

"Brian J. Mason," Setsuna said grimly, "was hit by a car in Shijuku earlier this evening. I suspect the police and ADP have not yet connected him to the death of Ginga."

"Mason!" Rei raised her eyebrows as she added, "couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."

"You know him?" Minako looked over at Rei curiously.

"He was the corporate slime Infinity sent to negotiate with my Grandfather, back when they wanted to buy the shrine," Rei remembered grimly. "I always wondered if he was one of the men who beat him to death."

"He didn't get his hands dirty," Setsuna said confidently, "but it wouldn't have surprised me if he had given the order."

"Could his death be a coincidence?" Ami had to ask.

Setsuna shook her head, "My source in the police tells me it was a bio-boomer driving the other car, and it swerved directly at Mason. It was intentional, though I suspect the police will write it up as a normal rogue incident."

Makoto looked curious, "Should we pass a tip on to Usagi?"

"Covertly," Ami said after a moment, "Minako, can you set up a untracable email to send her a message?"

"I already have several set up," Minako flashed a smile, "I just need a public computer terminal to access them."

"Fair enough," Ami nodded.

Setsuna leaned forward as she said seriously, "I've assembled a list of possible targets from Infinity's covert and research departments, I think we should take steps to guard them."

Rei gave a soft snort, "Why? The world is better off without them."

Ami sighed, "I'm tempted to agree with you, but we need the Infinity employees alive if the police are going to investigate my mother's death."

Minako nodded, "Infinity is still going ahead with the reveal that Tomoe ordered her death?"

"Yes, tho I suspect the present crisis may have delayed things a bit." Ami answered her firmly.

'I wonder if she's really that confident?' Rei wondered as Setsuna picked up several hard-copy sheets and passed them around the table.

"Who do you think will be the next big target?" Makoto asked curiously as she looked over the names and photos.

"This one," Setsuna tapped a copy of the sheet sitting on the table, "Professor Tomoe's former Chief of Operations, Madigan."

To be continued.....


	25. Chapter 25

Senshi Sabers!

Makoto Kino knelt behind a piece of cover as the brown haired woman used a advanced set of binoculars to peer at the woman leaving a townhouse in a posh section of Megatokyo. Madigan, no known last name, was a former executive with Infinity, but had lost her employment shortly after her employer's death. Now she was a rising star at Starlight Research, headed by the popular Seiya Kou.

"Mina," Makoto used the communication device at her throat as she watched Madigan getting into a car, "I think she's on the move. Do we have a vehicle in place to follow?"

"The bike's not far from the property," Minako Aino answered as the sexy blond pulled on her helm, the simple racing leathers hugging her body, "I'll pick you up."

"Right," Makoto nodded. A tracking device she had attached to the car earlier that day would allow them to follow Madigan wherever she might go.

Within a minute or two Mina cruised up on the bike, posing as she waited for Makoto to board. "Did someone call for a ride?" she purred.

"Mina," Makoto scolded her gently, climbing on dressed in a leather jacket and heavy jeans, her usual biking wear.

"Hold on tight now," Mina added with a wink through her helmet's clear visor as the two peeled off after Madigan's car.

Blushing furiously Makoto wrapped her arms around Mina, occassionally tightening as they hit a turn. They followed the car down the busy streets of the city, weaving through traffic as they went from a high priced area to the middle class, then into what could only be described as a slum.

"Mina?" Makoto said questioningly as they went around a corner.

Minako smiled, "Yes?"

"Uhm, I don't feel anything under your leathers...." Makoto sweatdropped.

Meanwhile, back at the Silky Doll, Ami was blushing faintly as they listened to the conversation over the helmet radios. The blue haired woman rubbed her face with her hand, sighing softly.

"Did we have to use them?" Rei Hino sighed, the black haired woman sitting in a chair nearby, dressed in pajamas and a fuzzy robe. Her one lower arm was sealed in a cast, and resting uncomfortably across her legs.

"Well, you do have a broken arm," Ami noted with a slight smile, "it hampers things."

Rei gave her a wicked look, "It didn't hamper things much last night."

Ami went bright red. After a false start and a meeting with Setsuna Meiou, Ami and Rei had finally had enough privacy to really explore their feelings. And explore them they did, the much more experienced Rei guiding their activities in bet to a satisfying conclusion.

"In fact," Rei leaned over, "I thought we...."

"Ahem," Ami blushed. She looked at the screen tracking Madigan's progress, "Any guesses why she's in that part of town?"

Rei gave a sigh as she sat back in her chair, "Good question." She tapped her finger beside the keyboard, "She's working for Starlight Research, right?"

"I'll check for any Starlight facilities there," Ami began to type, a bit surprised at how off her game she was today. She stole a glance at Rei in the somewhat clingy clothes, 'Then again, I do have good reasons, I suppose....'

"They own a underground club there?" Rei murmured as information came up on the screen.

"Yes, called Three Lights," Ami typed, searching for more data. "Other than the name, there's not much," she mused, looking at tax data and other sources.

"She's stopped the car," Mina reported as the purple haired older woman pulled into a open space beside the old building. "Looks like she's headed in," she added as the business suited woman got out and walked to the door.

Ami debated a moment, "Follow her in, but be discrete."

"Right," Makoto agreed as she and Minako got up off the bike and walked to the enterance.

"Can those two do discrete?" Rei had to ask Ami quietly.

"Somewhat," Ami admitted, "it depends on how you define the term, I suppose."

"Ugh," Rei winced.

Makoto took the lead, hoping her boyish clothes wouldn't draw too much attention as she opened the door to the club and peered inside. As their eyes adapted to the darkness Minako blinked, taking in the men in dresses and the women in pants.

"It's a crossdressing club," Minako used her radio to report.

Thankfully Makoto passed just fine, and Minako was taken to be a very realistic looking crossdresser. "Are you all right?" Makoto had to ask.

Minako made a face, "I don't know if I should be complimented or insulted."

Rei had the oddest look on her own face as she wondered aloud, "Why would Starlight own a crossdressing club?"

Ami shrugged, "Why do you think?"

Rei shook her head after a moment, "You know, I don't think I want to find out."

Mina and Makoto managed to quietly observe as Madigan quietly talked to the bartender, the two 9apparent0 women chatting in a oddly intimate way. She picked sipped at her drink as she turned to watch the crowd, then the older woman put her drink down and smoothly headed to the door.

"Business or pleasure?" Minako wondered as they followed her out.

"I do not want to know," Makoto unconsciously echoed Rei.

Madigan stalked towards her car, then froze as she realized there was a unfamiliar figure sitting inside. "Who are you?" she demanded, pointing at the woman in the front seat.

The tall, beautiful woman was naked, with the eerie perfect looks of a bio-boomer. She smiled coldly as she said, "Who I am is not important."

"Oh hell," Makoto muttered. "Ami, this is bad!"

"What do you want?" Madigan demanded, pulling a concealed gun from under her coat.

"You don't recognize your past?" the boomer demanded as she stalked towards Madigan, "I am the product of your hard work."

"Bio-boomer," Madigan hissed as she opened fire, bullets tearing into inhuman flesh that seemed to heal over incredibly quickly. Her eyes grew desperate as the artificial being grew nearer, her shots more frantic.

"Ami, what do we do?" Minako asked crisply, fully into her professional mode.

Ami bit her lip, her thoughts racing. Even with the specialized guns both Minako and Makoto carried, there was no way they could go toe to toe with a bio-boomer. Only battle armored beings could safely fight them, which narrowed Ami's effective options.

"Observe and follow only," Ami ordered softly, knowing her agents didn't want to hear that, "we'll mobilize the van as soon as possible. Do NOT engage, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Makoto agreed with great reluctance.

"Come on," Rei jumped to her feet, her and Ami racing down the hall to the elevator. "Are Haruka and Michiru still here?" she asked.

"I sent them down to the equipment bay earlier," Ami answered as she hopped into the elevator beside Rei, "They shouyld have the suits loaded to go already."

"Are you two steps ahead of me because of practice or fate?" Rei wondered as they smothly fell to the basement level.

"A bit of both," Ami answered confidently.

To be continued....


	26. Chapter 26

Senshi Sabers

Chapter 25

Haruka paced restlessly, the sandy-blonde haired young woman roaming around the underground lab. "Calm down," Michiru called, the blue-green haired young woman calmly sitting at the monitor screen, keeping track of Makoto and Minako's movements as they tailed Madigan and her bio-boomer captor.

"I hate waiting," Haruka admitted with a laugh, running a hand through her short hair, dressed in her usual long pants and a t-shirt.

"I do, too," Michiru admitted, "but Rei and Ami are on their way."

The doors to the lift opened up soon enough for Rei to hear that last bit. "Correction, we're here," she called out, having put on some sweat pants to go with a loose t-shirt.

Ami turned to Rei, her expression serious as she said, "Rei, I hate to ask this but...."

"You want me to stay here and monitor," Rei nodded grimly. "I don't like it, but there's no way I can armor up with a busted arm," she admitted.

As Ami briskly headed to the truck she hesitated, then stopped. Walking back to Rei she kissed her, lingeringly. "For later," she breathed out quietly.

"Right," Rei gulped, suddenly wobbly as she made her way to the main computer terminal.

Ami had a faintly self satisfied look as she headed back to the Silky Doll truck, but her voice was all business as she said, "Michiru, I've rigged up a spare suit for you to use and I loaded it earlier."

"I can't wait to see it," Michiriu mused, a faint smile on her face.

"What about me?" Haruka asked eagerly.

"I'm going to have to put you in by back-up suit," Ami admitted as they climbed in the van, "and it hasn't been modified for you. You'll have to slow your reaction time to compensate."

I see," Haruka nodded as Ami started the van, her taking the shotgun seat and Michiru getting in the back.

As the truck roared off Rei stood and called, "Good luck!"

Meanwhile, in another part of the city Madigan sat in a car seat, looking with undisguised loathing at the thing at the driver's seat. The feminine bio-boomer had ordered her in and took off,

threatening to kill her if she disobeyed. She rather suspected this was payback for some of the things she had done for Infinity over the years, but why now?

"Do you have a name?" Madigan had to ask, sitting belted into the passenger side, the straps rigged to hamper her movements.

The bio-boomer ignored her, staring ahead as her eyes flickered inhumanly fast, taking in all it's surroundings. "Do you have a bodyguard?" she asked suddenly, her voice flat and artificial.

Madigan looked at her curiously, but decided lying would not be healthy. "No," she said, "my employer Mr. Kou doesn't think I need one."

Still looking straight ahead the bio-boomer calmly noted, "Then you were being tailed. There is a motorbike back there that has followed us through two turns, staying between three to four car-lengths back."

Madigan felt a flash of hope for a rescue, then squashed it firmly. There was no reason to assume the followers were friends, after all. She shifted to try to get a look, but couldn't manage it. "I don't know who they are," she scowled.

"There are several possibilities," the bio-boomer seemed to be thinking aloud as they drove through the city, "the police may have determined we were targeting Infinity staff and assigned a officer, it could be someone you wrong in your previous employment seeking payback, it could relate to your current employment, or it could be they are Senshi Sabers after me."

Hearing the remark about targeting Infinity, Madigan felt a chill run down her spine. She had always known her actions for Prof. Tomoe would come back to haunt her, but she had hoped it wouldn't be this soon. Shifting in her seat she knew she was tightly bound up top, but her legs were mostly free. Maybe she could....

"Do not attempt to kick or otherwise interfere with my driving," the bio-boomer said, keeping a wary eye on their tail, "you would not like the results."

Madigan looked at her grimly, "You're going to kill me anyway."

The bio-boomer nodded, acknowledging that. "Yes," she said, "but there are deaths and there are deaths. Some are quick and painless, others... linger."

Madigan shivered at the remorseless tone in that statement and sat still. "Where are we going?" she asked after a few moments.

"To meet the greatest product of Infinity's research," the bio-boomer said, looking straight ahead and therefore missing the van barreling out of a side street to ram them in the side.

"Shit!" Madigan cursed as the car careened sideways, the internal safety systems spraying a air permeable, quick drying safety foam to protect her from injury. 'And,' she noted brightly, 'it might even be enough to keep the bio-boomer from killing me, too.'

The Silky Doll van skidded to a stop, the sound of feminine cursing coming from the back hold. Ami nearly had her full suit of armor on as she grumbled, "That is the last time I let Haruka drive."

"Haruka tends to directness," Michiru conceded as she pulled on her dark green and black armor, "but it worked, didn't it? You did want Madigan and her captor stopped, after all."

"Point," Ami admitted as she pulled on the helm for her ice blue suit.

Haruka climbed into the back, stripping as she did so, "Looks like Madigan is gummed up in safety-foam, and the bio-boomer is trying to chip her out of it."

"All right," Ami nodded as she and Michiru headed to the rear doors, "armor up and follow us out. Also, I bet Minako and Makoto will be up here soon, too."

"Got it," Haruka nodded as the naked woman pulled on the undersuit.

"Use ECM as we leave the truck," Ami murmured to Michiru as they moved out, deliberately dampening their emissions as they moved clear of the van. She did not want the Senshi Sabers at all connected to Silky Doll, which was the other reason she was annoyed at Haruka's ramming tactic.

Meanwhile out in the street the bio-boomer doggedly chipped at the safety-foam, and if she could curse she would be. The rapid hardening stuff was deliberately designed to be tough and hard to damage without the right solvents, which only emergency personnel carried. So she was stuck using brute force to tear segments of it away, while also trying not to hurt Madigan too much. Not that she cared about the woman personally, but her Mistress wanted her alive....

"Get away from that car, bio-boomer!" the artificially boosted voice boomed.

With a burst of inhuman speed the bio-boomer bounded away from the car, trying to get near enough to successfully attack the armored women. She calculated only a thirty-five percent chance of success in such a attack based on models of previous Senshi Saber combats, but the odds were improved by their being only two opposing units.

As usual the leader deployed the supercooled blades that were her primary weapon, and she dodged both arm mounted blades handily. She had not, however, expected the burst of super-concentrated fluid that bowled her over, leaving her open to a sword strike. Seeing her end coming she sent a burst transmission of the combat data so far to her mistress, then went silent as the icy blade pierced her brain.

Ami retracted her arm sword, feeling a certain satisfaction in how quickly the fight ended. "How did the hydro blasters work?" she asked as she collected the remains in a electromagnetically shielded bag.

"Quite well," Michiru admitted, "though aiming will be difficult."

Minako walked alongside Makoto who was pushing their motorcycle past the broken glass and material left by ramming the car. "Did you have to kill it that fast?" Makoto complained as they started ripping safety foam out of the car, "I wanted to take a shot at it."

"It wasn't a combat augmented type" Michiru shrugged, "in fact I suspect it was designed for covert operations."

"Exactly my thought," Ami agreed as they stripped more of the white crap out, "it had a very low EM signature compared to a usual type."

"Meaning we'll have a harder time tracking it," Minako sighed, the blond helping dig much more reluctantly.

"About time you got here," Madigan growled, glaring at them while still bound up in buckles and belts, as well as still shrouded in foam.

Deciding a official presence might explain why she was there Minako flashed her badge, "AD Police, ma'am. I picked up on the distress call and responded along with the Sabers here."

"Distress call?" Madigan asked.

"Someone saw you get picked up at the Three Lights club," Minako smirked. "Care to tell us why you were visiting there, by the way?" she asked as they more carefully peeled the foam away from the woman's body.

Madigan actually blushed, "If you must know my brother preforms there."

'Sure he does,' Ami thought, making a note to check out the club later. The wail of sirens in the distance made Ami pull back, looking at Michiru and waving her off. "Sorry to say we have to go," she said crisply, "good luck, Ms."

The twin armored figures bounded off, then resignedly Minako and Makoto went back to trying to peel her out without taking too much skin off. "So," Minako asked calmly, "why did the bio-boomer want to kill you?"

"I have no idea," Madigan lied flatly.

Within moments a AD Police cruiser pulled up, two very familiar figures climbing out to sweep the situation with their eyes. "Let me guess," Usagi Tsukino sighed as the blond took in the bagged wreck of a bio-boomer, "the Sabers beat us here again?"

"Looks like it," Naru agreed, the brown haired girl following her friend and partner over to the damaged car.

"Officer Aino," Usagi recognized her, "what are you doing here?"

"I was out with my friend when I heard the alert," Minako shrugged, "I was nearby, so...."

"Makes sense," Usagi conceded, not really paying attention to Minako's friend, her gaze focused on the captive woman. "Well, well, if it isn't Madigan," she mused, "been a long time. Are you still shutting out police investigations?"

"I was under orders from my boss at the time," Madigan growled. "Now get me out of this!"

"But of course," Usagi got up as she asked, "I suppose you couldn't tell me why that thing was trying to kill you?"

"I don't know," Madigan lied.

With that Usagi gently tugged Minako and the others away from peeling off foam,. "I understand. However, we're going to have to wait for a emergency team to get here with the solvent for that foam."

"But your officers were just...," Madigan yelped.

"It's really not safe to handle by hand," Usagi said gently. "But don't worry," she added, "the team will be here in half a hour, tops."

Madigan went red with anger, "You must be joking!"

"Well, maybe more than a half hour," Naru added cheerfully, "but we'll try to keep you hydrated while you wait."

Madigan glared at both of them. "And if I tell you who I think is after me?" she growled out, even though she suspected she knew the answer.

"I suppose I could ask for some volunteers to get that stuff off you," Usagi said.

"I hate you," Madigan sighed, defeated.

"I can live with that," Usagi shrugged. "Well?"

"I'll tell," Madigan slumped.

To be continued....


	27. Chapter 27

Senshi Sabers

Chapter 27

Usagi Tsukino listened as Madigan told the tale, her expression thoughtful. The blonde officer's long hair glinted as she leaned forward, "The greatest product of Infinity's research? Are you certain that's what the bio-boomer said?"

"Yes," Madigan growled, the purple haired woman still entombed in safety foam. "Now get me out of this!"

"Will do," Naru said as the brown haired woman helped peel back the clinging material, assisted by Minako Aino and her attractive girlfriend.

Madigan hissed in pain as they hit skin, peeling off dried foam from her clothes and flesh. "This hurts," she hissed through grit teeth.

"We can wait for the solvent if you like," Minako offered mildly as she pulled more material away from around her legs.

"No way in hell," Madigan yelped, "there could be more of those things coming."

Makoto Kino took a half step backwards, activating the small throat mike she usually wore. "Makoto to base, anyone there?" she murmured, the tall brown haired woman making sure she was far enough away not to be overheard.

"Rei here," the voice came through a concealed ear piece, "Ami left me holding the fort. Everything okay?"

"Fine so far," Makoto answered. "You recording everything Madigan says?"

"Yep," Rei agreed, "I think Ami will be very interested, even if it just confirms that our enemy is Mistress Nine."

"Any bio-boomers around?" Makoto asked, a bit nervous without her armor on.

"Not that we're picking up," Rei answered honestly.

"Good," Makoto said, "we'll finish up here then check in as soon as possible."

Usagi saw her move back, but focused her attention on Madigan. "So, it kidnapped you from the club and was carting you off to a unknown destination," she summarized. "Any idea why?"

"I can't tell you," Madigan answered flatly, "not without a immunity from prosecution."

Usagi and Naru exchanged a look, wide eyed. "What did you do?" Naru had to ask, settling back on her heels as she studied the older woman.

"Developed science," Madigan said flatly, "and that's all I'm saying."

Usagi studied her a moment, "I'm going to have to bump it up to my Captain and the DA's office. There's no way I can make that kind of deal."

"Then that's all you're getting from me," Madigan answered as the emergency teams finally arrived with the gear to free her from her foam prison.

Minako got up and backed away with Makoto to give the emergency teams room. "Did you get all that?" she asked quietly.

"Every word," Makoto agreed. "I wonder what Madigan did that she's so worried about now?"

A visibly tired Usagi watched the teams finally dissolve the foam, almost wishing it had taken them longer to arrive. She, too, was wondering what Madigan was hiding, and to be honest she doubted her bosses would make a deal. Turning away she walked over to where Minako stood and said, "Good work you two."

"Glad to help," Makoto smiled.

"I won't press on how you just happened to be in the area," Usagi added with a slight smile, "I don't think I want to know."

"Do I need to come in and make a report?" Minako asked with a sigh.

"No, it should be fine," Usagi said after a moment, "you were off duty. I'll need you to sign a statement in the morning."

"Will do," Minako nodded.

"So can we go?" Makoto asked politely. She smiled faintly, "This kind of interrupted our night out, if you know what I mean...:

"Have fun," Usagi waved them off then walked back to where Naru was watching as the emergency team loaded Madigan into the ambulance.

"She hasn't said anything else," Naru reported without any prompting, "in fact she's been pretty damn quiet."

"Think the bosses will make a deal, find out what she knows?" Usagi asked quietly as the van buttoned up and was off.

"Not likely," Naru sighed.

"Yeah," Usagi said as they filmed the site for later use in their investigations, "I didn't think so either." She frowned and asked, "Anyone get the identification of the truck the Senshi Sabers used to ram them with?"

"A truck belonging to Silky Doll lingerie," Naru answered with a shrug, "probably stolen."

"Probably," Usagi agreed, even though she was frowning slightly.

Not long after that very same truck was returning to the Silky Doll, pulling into the ramp and descending into the underground base. Haruka Tenoh was a little sheepish as Ami Mizuno finished lecturing her. "I am sorry, Miss Mizuno," she said quietly, "I hadn't stopped to consider how using the truck to ram them could put you in danger."

"We'll have to take out a regular delivery truck of mine and smash it up then abandon it," Ami said as they climbed out, "or the police will be here checking us out."

"I can do it," Haruka volunteered seriously.

"No," Ami shook her head, "I'll contact Setsuna. I'm sure she can subcontract it in such a way to hide any connection to me or her."

The phone call was quickly made. Setsuna sounding rather amused by the whole situation. "I warned you about the two of them," she chuckled.

"All right, I told you so has been said," Ami sighed, "can you do it?"

"Leave the truck outside on the north side of the building, no keys," Setsuna told her seriously, "my contact will do the rest."

"They won't...," Ami started to ask.

"No questions," Setsuna said, "you don't want to know." She relented after a moment, "I promise it won't be used for anything too bad."

"Gee, thanks," Ami sighed as they disconnected.

While they were talking Rei Hino had taken charge, the black haired young woman supervising the unloading the armored suits from the truck. "I was monitoring from here," she congratulated Michiru, "good job."

"Thank you," Michiru smiled shyly.

Rei gave Haruka a smile too, "I don't know if I would have rammed them with a truck, but I have to concede it was pretty effective."

"What would you have done?" Haruka asked curiously as they saw Ami talking.

Rei thought about it as they loaded up the suits on the racks, "I'd have also tried to crash the car, probably. Sniper shot to the hood would have worked."

"Hmm," Haruka nodded after a moment. "Maybe when Miss Mizuno gets my suit ready, I'll be able to do that too."

Ami put her phone back, frowning as Rei hung one of the helmets one handed, her cast covered arm still confined in it's sling. Wisely she didn't comment, well aware of the woman's pride. "Good work, everyone," she said after a moment, "looks like we prevented a murder."

Rei hesitated, "Do you want the bad news?"

"Let's hear it," Ami sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"I heard over the police band that three other former Infinity staffers were either kidnapped or killed tonight," Rei said seriously, "the AD Police have confirmed they're all former staffers but that's all the connection they've found."

"It can't just be about revenge," Ami mused, frowning, "Mistress Nine could have pulled something like this any time. What is she after?"

"What if they're connected to Nine, somehow?" Rei offered. "They might know something useful about her."

"She's cleaning up after herself," Michiru said, tilting her head to the side questioningly, "making sure her secrets are kept safe?"

Ami was nodding slowly, "It makes a certain amount of sense."

"So what do we do about it?" Haruka offered, spreading her hands in question.

"I get back on the computer and do more digging," Ami said, frowning slightly, "and look for any former or current Infinity staff who were around for Nine's creation."

"You two get to bed," Rei instructed Haruka and Michiru, "it's past midnight already." She took Ami's arm, "You too."

"But I need to get on that research," Ami protested.

"If you do it sleep deprived," Rei murmured to her softly, "how many more mistakes are you going to end up making?"

Ami hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "You're right, damn it," she admitted. "Radio Minako and Makoto, let them know they're off for the night too," she added.

"I'll do it," Haruka said, trotting over to the control panel.

"Come on," Rei led Ami to the elevator leading up to the shop and the apartment Ami maintained above it. "Sorry I jumped in like that," Rei added quietly.

"You were right to," Ami conceded, sighing.

Rei put her hand on Ami's shoulder and squeezed as she said, "What happened to those other Infinity staffers was not your fault, Ami."

"Reading my mind, now?" Ami smiled faintly. "I just feel like I should be doing more," she sighed softly.

"We're doing everything we can," Rei hugged her awkwardly with her broken arm, "you can't ask for anything more from yourself,."

"Thanks," Ami hugged her back, sighing.

To be continued...


	28. Chapter 28

Senshi Sabers!

Chapter 27

Usagi Tsukino stood calmly as the chief blasted her, the older woman livid with anger. Haruna scowled as she said, "You left her imprisoned in safety foam until she talked? Do you know how much trouble you could be in?"

Usagi stood up straight, the blond staring straight ahead. "We need to know who's behind all this," she answered firmly.

"Arrgh," Haruna made a incoherent noise as she dropped tablets of antacid into her cup of water then slammed it down. "There were several kidnappings and assaults last night. We think they were all Infinity related," she told her.

"More victims of this mysterious Mistress Nine?" Usagi asked grimly.

"That's our current theory," Haruna admitted. She studied Usagi for a moment then asked, "IF I leave you on the case, can you crack it?"

"I don't know," Usagi admitted, "no one is telling the truth, and I have very few leads. But I won't give up and I'll keep chasing leads down."

"Fair enough," Haruna admitted. She sat back with a sigh, "I'll run interference between you and City Hall, but move fast. If Tomoe gets annoyed and brings pressure to bear, I don't know how long I can shield you."

"Thanks," Usagi nodded as she hurried from the office.

This morning the district house of the AD Police was bustling as men and women analyzed the assaults overnight, trying to wring the data out of each event. The murder investigations had almost every officer involved, not to mention the city's crime labs and coroner.

"Hey," Naru nodded, the slim brown haired woman nodding as her partner neared the desk. "I could hear the boss yelling from here."

"She's not happy about how we handled Madigan last night," Usagi conceded as she took off her jacket and sat down.

"Like that's a surprise?" Naru looked amused. "Are we still on the case?" she asked curiously.

"For now," Usagi said as she started going over the files from last night's attacks, "but if we don't produce results we're out."

"Then we'll just have to get results," Naru shrugged.

Usagi nodded as she reviewed the files thoughtfully. There were three incidents flagged as confirmed bio-boomer assaults, and all three victims were connected to Infinity. One was a researcher like Madigan, a Dr. Yuri, while another was a manager and the third a public relations man. All three had been taken down in the streets, hauled into cars and then off to a unknown location. So far no bodies had been found.

"Why are they going after Infinity staff?" Usagi mused aloud.

"Revenge?" Naru offered from where she was sitting across the desk. "Some of the rogue bio-boomers see themselves as slaves, they might feel justified in striking out at their creators."

"It's possible," Usagi conceded. She frowned thoughtfully, "Has Tomoe given us any access to Infinity's files?"

"I'll check with Aino," Naru said as she called, "and I'll see if she wrote up a statement about last night too."

Usagi sat back, distracted for a moment by the mystery that was Minako Aino. The perky blond haired woman was a computer tech at the AD Police, and on the surface was as bubble headed as blonds were rumored to be. But there were brains behind those blue eyes, and talking to her Usagi sensed hidden depths.

It was almost certain that Minako and her girlfriend had been tailing Madigan last night, though why Usagi didn't know. Had the officer hacked something to find out there was going to be a attack? Did she have a 'in' to Mistress Nine? Hell, was Aino a Senshi?

"Sorry for not handing you my statement earlier," Minako smiled as she walked over with Naru, holding a piece of paper.

"No problem," Usagi took it and skimmed the report as she asked, "Is Tomoe letting us into her files yet?"

"Under protest," Minako said wryly, "I did some snooping and there's a lot of data walled off behind firewalls. We won't get complete data."

"Not unexpected," Naru conceded.

Usagi read, quickly deciding the report was a plausible explanation of how two women were out having fun, saw a kidnapping go down and followed. She also felt that Minako's story was at least partially false, but that was just a gut feeling. She couldn't prove it.

"Thanks, Aino," Usagi smiled at her. "You did good last night," she added with a slight smile.

"You're welcome," Minako smiled. She gestured to her station, "I'd better get back to work."

Once Minako had left Naru casually began reviewing files as she quietly said, "Do you think she's holding back, too?"

"Something," Usagi agreed equally quietly. "Not our business, unless it impacts the case."

"Fair enough," Naru said, inputting the data on the attacks and comparing it to the Infinity files. "God damn it," she cursed softly, "these files are so edited they're nearly useless."

Usagi went around to read over Naru's shoulder. "Not that bad," she skimmed, "print this up, we need to go see Tomoe again."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Hotaru Tomoe read through the casualty list, the young woman's expression grim as she put it on the desk. "Is this all?" she asked tiredly.

Kaori Knight looked at her boss sympathetically, knowing how much this was weighing on her. "The Senshi and the ADP were able to prevent Madigan's assassination," she said to her gently, "that's something at least."

"Something," Hotaru agreed tiredly. She closed her eyes as she leaned back, "Why is Nine doing this now? What is her motivation?"

"Was she targeting them for death? Or was she kidnapping them?" Kaori asked tentatively.

Hotaru sat up, her eyes widening. "Oh hell," she muttered, activating her terminal and scrolling through the data. "Yes," she muttered as she reviewed the information, "they were all involved in various black projects for father."

Kaori watched her boss work, once again awed by how fast her mind and body could work. Hotaru's fingers were literally flying across the keys as she accessed files and sorted the data within, putting together a 'map' to what she thought might be going on.

Giving her boss some time to work, Kaori was startled by a soft beep from her watch. Activating the communication's function she quietly asked, "Yes?"

The head of building security answered, the man looking distinctly annoyed. "Two ADP officers are demanding to see Miss Tomoe. Should I send them off?"

"Give me a moment," Kaori said, then relayed the request to Hotaru.

Hotaru nodded briskly, "Send them up, I expected someone to come by after we limited their access to the files."

"You planned for them to come?" Kaori raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Hotaru just smiled mysteriously.

A few minutes later Sylvie lead the two women into the office, a odd couple if Kaori had ever seen one. Usagi was tall with long blond hair, usually tied up in various styles, while Naru was shorter, more serious looking with brown hair and dressed in suits.

"Miss Tomoe, Miss Knight," Usagi nodded her greetings as their guide slipped away.

"What can we do for you?" Kaori asked politely.

"You can tell us what Madigan, Dr. Yuri and the others were working on together," Naru said forcefully, glaring at both of them.

"Well done," Hotaru conceded as Kaori waved the two officers to the seats in front of the desk, "what made you think they were on a project together?"

"The job descriptions, mostly," Usagi conceded calmly, "well?"

"I was digging through our records looking for just that information," Hotaru admitted as she made a face, "sadly I haven't found much."

"Really," Naru drawled skeptically.

Kaori bristled, frowning. "Yes, really," she told her, "Professor Tomoe was a strong believer in need to know, and compartmentalized data."

"Sounds kind of paranoid," Usagi noted.

"Oh, he was," Hotaru answered promptly. "But it turns out he did have someone out to get him, so...," she shrugged eloquently.

"So what were they working on?" Naru asked, trying to get the discussion back on track.

"Some kind of improved combat model," Hotaru frowned grimly, "sadly most of the data has been purged. I'll forward a copy of what we have to you immediately."

"Thank you," Usagi said, frowning. "So does this Nine want to integrate more combat abilities into her servants," she wondered, "or is there something else going on?"

"I wish I knew," Hotaru admitted, "but they have taken captives this time, not just killing their targets. It must mean something."

"We'll do whatever we can to find out," Naru answered seriously. She gave the two women a pointed look, "It would help if we could have fuller access to your files."

"I'll do what I can," Kaori said smoothly, "but we have to take reasonable steps to protect our data." She sniffed, "The ADP systems are less than secure."

Usagi wanted to protest, but even she had to admit that the ADP had not spent enough on their computer protection. "We'll do our best not to give your system a virus," she said dryly. She got up from her seat as she said, "Thank you for seeing us."

"Yes, thank you," Naru nodded.

"And don't try planting another bug in the office," Kaori said cheerfully, "I'd hate to have to bring it up with your superiors."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Usagi lied, smiling.

"I'm sure," Kaori chuckled, "have a nice day."

"You enjoyed that," Hotaru chuckled once the two police officers were gone.

"Oh yes," Kaori agreed, smiling back at her happily. "Thank you for letting me do that," she added.

"It's the small things that make life worth living," Hotaru mused, "warm slippers, pretty ladies and jerking around arrogant cops."

To be continued...


	29. Chapter 29

Senshi Sabers

Chapter 29

Dr. Yuri tried to scream as the nano-tech probes bored into his skull, but all he could manage was a gurgling noise. He was stuck into a wall of Mistress Nine's home, the almost organic structure pulsing with unholy life as he was examined.

"This would be much simpler if you'd cooperate," Nine said, the black haired woman looking at him with false compassion. She was naked, and should have been a erotic sight, yet the gore splattered across her chest killed any such impulse. Nine had tortured a data entry clerk in front of him, and the glee she had shown had turned his stomach.

"I don't know," Dr. Yuri gurgled out tearfully, "please believe me, I don't know what you want!"

"Liar," Nine said as Yuri convulsed, the connections fully made.

Viluy watched with interest as the computers began to access the man's brain, sorting and categorizing impulses to determine how his brain worked, "We are quickly achieving a baseline," she noted calmly, her silver white hair flowing down her back.

"Good," Nine nodded then looked at Yuri, "What is your name?"

"Dr. Richard Yuri," he mumbled, slumping in his bonds, pinkish fluid leaking from the wounds in his shaved skull.

"True," Viluy nodded, the computer verifying via brain waves and biological response that he wasn't lying.

"Then let us begin," Nine smiled coldly as they began questioning him again.

It didn't take long to narrow down what they wanted to learn from him, using pain to punish lies and the promise of survival for cooperation. The technical data was potentially priceless, and both Nine and Viluy read the details eagerly.

"Improved armor, speed, response times," Nine mused thoughtfully, "you are a wonder, doctor. Why did Infinity not use these augmentations?"

Yuri hung from the wall, feeling exhausted from the pain and stress, but he knew he had to answer to survive. "The changes caused a drastically shortened life span in our test models," he said to them dully, "they effectively self destructed in a matter of weeks."

Viluy frowned, "I see."

"Who else has this data?" Nine asked him thoughtfully, "Was anyone else working on this, or trying to correct the problem?"

Yuri stirred, almost as if he wanted to resist them, then another surge of power crackled across his frontal lobe. "Yes! Yes!" he gasped out, choking on the pain. As the power faded he continued, "There were researchers at a separate facility, Starlight research. But they were primarily developing the... sexaroid lines."

"It seems we need the assistance of Madigan, more so than we had first thought," Nine noted, frowning to herself slightly. She looked at Viluy, casually ignoring their victim as she asked"Any updates on our attempt to capture her?"

Viluy shook her head regretfully, "I can confirm the Bio-boomer was destroyed, mistress. We received burst data that the Senshi were involved."

"I see," Nine nodded, her expression oddly controlled.

"Please, I've told you everything I know," Yuri groaned, the man hanging limply in his bonds, "it hurts so much, please..."

"Of course," Nine nodded, turning towards him. The relief on his face only lasted a few seconds as she punched her first through his chest.

"Hurk!" Yuri made a soft gurgling noise then as blood welled up from his mouth whispered, "Why...?" He slumped in the restraints, lifeless, a few moments later even as Nine pulled her arm free with a wet sucking sound.

"The download we received from his brain makes this one useless." Nine noted calmly as the wall began to grow over the corpse, breaking it down for more raw materials. Ignoring the gore still dripping down her arm she continued, "We will need to deploy covert operatives to assess the situation around Madigan."

"Of course, ma'am," Viluy agreed, bowing slightly. "We have several sexaroid types who would be effective," she noted thoughtfully, "they have been successfully modified to be invisible to standard scans."

"Well done, Viluy," Nine nodded, flashing a warm smile.

"We will need to investigate both the ADP and Starlight," Viluy mused, "should we divide our forces, or concentrate on one area at a time?"

Nine and Viluy left the interrogation chamber, moving through the underground as they talked. The caverns created by the great earthquake were beautiful in a odd way, mixing man made structures with the collapsed earth and underground formations.

"I think we need to monitor both," Nine decided, "we must know if Madigan reveals critical data to the ADP. And the information at Starlight is of equal importance."

"Then I will deploy forces to both locations," Viluy agreed calmly.

The two entered the gestation chamber where the bio-mechanical life forms hung on the walls, the organics growing over and through the metal skeletal framework. Organs pulsed and throbbed as they shaped themselves, the bodies gradually taking on more human forms.

"They're nearly ready, our fighter breed," Nine mused quietly, "but without the improvements, they won't survive in pitched battle."

"The combat Bio-boomer types are still available," Viluy noted quietly, "they can be the first wave of our revenge."

"Yes," Nine smiled, "I can't wait to see it all begin."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

The headquarters of the AD Police was filled with life, men and women rushing about to accomplish their daily tasks. Prisoners were processed, reports were filed, interviews went on and so much more, all in the many floors of the gleaming tower.

However, not everyone in that tower was terribly happy. "I want police protection!" Madigan declared, thumping the desk while she glared at the older women who was sitting across from her calmly drinking her coffee.

Chief Haruna met her gaze as she asked, "From what, exactly?" The brown haired woman sat back, "You will not tell us why the bio-boomer wants to kill you specifically, or elaborate on what you claim their general motives are."

Madigan glared at Haruna as she growled, "That's blackmail."

"You bet," Haruna agreed flatly. She met the other woman's eyes forcefully as she continued, "I am not putting my peoples' lives on the line if you insist on keeping us blindfolded."

"I can't tell you," Madigan repeated grimly.

"Then I hope those employers you are being so loyal to will provide you with the needed protection," Haruna said dryly.

With a barely restrained growl Madigan turned and left the office, her stomping feet echoing as she walked away. Haruna went back to work, only to be interrupted a few minutes later by a gentle tap on her office door.

"Come in," Haruna put the papers aside with a sigh.

"Yo," Usagi Tsukino waved, the tall blond police woman smiling slightly as her partner Naru followed her inside.

Haruna smiled slightly, considering how much trouble the two officers could be. Tough, bull headed, they both plowed forward no matter what was put in their way, causing no end of political trouble for her. On the other hand they also closed cases pretty regularly, and deep down Haruna admired both womans' sense of integrity.

"So, what do you want?" Haruna asked calmly.

"Are we really cutting loose Madigan like this?" Usagi asked her boss bluntly even as Naru winced slightly beside her.

"Not that we're criticizing your decision or anything," Naru added quickly.

Haruna snorted softly, looking amused. "Hell yes you are," she noted mildly. "And no, we're not cutting her loose, as you put it so nicely."

Usagi casually sat in the chair opposite the desk, "So what's the plan?"

"Don't put your feet up on my desk," Haruna ordered before she could try it. Once Usagi's feet were safely on the floor she continued, "I'm having her tailed, but covertly."

"Huh," Usagi nodded slightly, "I saw Gurio Umino outside in the garage, I wondered why he was lurking about."

"So why not tell Madigan we're tailing her?" Naru had to ask, even though the young woman rather suspected she knew the answer.

"I'm hoping whoever is sending the bio-boomers will tip their hand," Haruna said, shrugging slightly. "Worse come to worse, we can follow them after they kidnap Madigan."

"That's a little ruthless," Usagi noted, though she sounded more admiring than disapproving. "You think she can lead us to Nine, whoever the hell that is?"

"I thought we agreed that Mistress Nine is a rogue bio-boomer modeled on Hotaru Tomoe?" Naru noted mildly.

"That's what Tomoe says," Usagi noted calmly, "and to be honest I still don't trust her as far as I can throw her."

"Good attitude," Haruna agreed, nodding slightly. The older woman sat back, "Right now we still don't know very much, and what little we have isn't exactly verifiable. That's why I'm willing to risk Madigan a bit, in the hopes of learning more."

"Do you want us to help out with watching Madigan?" Usagi asked curiously.

"Oh hell no!" Haruna blurted out quickly. "She knows both of you too damn well, she'll spot you tailing her immediately."

"Hey, I could be sneaky!" Usagi protested.

"Even with a wig you stand out," Haruna snorted, "no, I'm sorry but no."

"Hmph," Usagi crossed her arms and pouted.

Naru covered her mouth, fighting back a giggle. Getting her emotions under control she asked, "Who do you have backing up Umino?"

"Sumika and Kazama will be taking a shift," Haruna noted, "and I have some traffic patrol officers who will be shadowing her too. I think we have her covered."

"Let's hope," Usagi sighed, "I hate to point it out, but that woman is seriously connected. If she gets hurt and it gets out we could have stopped it..."

Haruna made a face and grabbed the bottle of antacid she kept in a top drawer in her desk. "Thank you very much for reminding me," she grumbled as she tossed down the tablets and followed it with a gulp of cold coffee.

"Always glad to help," Usagi flashed a smile as she got up. "We'll keep digging on the case from our end," she said as they left.

"Good luck boss," Naru waved as they walked off.

"I'm gonna need it," Haruna sighed.

To be continued...


	30. Chapter 30

Senshi Sabers

Chapter 30

Ami Mizuno woke up, warm and snuggly under the covers. In fact she was more comfortable than she usually was, a strong warmth beside her on the bed. Her eyes opened, blinking sleepily, then realized she was spooned up against a black haired woman.

'Rei,' Ami realized, feeling a burst of joy in her heart at holding the other woman. For many years she had been alone, only having her mission to avenge her mother and to try to avenge the stealing of her company.

"Hmm," Rei stirred, the woman shifting a bit on the bed. She rolled over to face Ami, blinkng sleepily, then she smiled as she said, "You have bed head."

"I do?" Ami smiled a bit sleepily at Rei.

"It looks cute, actually," Rei noted, moving closer to kiss Ami gently.

Ami kissed her back, for a moment wishing she could repeat everything they had done last night. Despite a broken arm Rei had been both ardent and agile as a lover, and had relentlessly pursued Ami's pleasure. To be honest she was rather startled at how good Rei was at this...

Rei snuggled close, sighing softly. "I guess we can't stay in bed?" she asked quietly.

"I'd like that," Ami said wryly, "but..."

"Yeah," Rei sighed too. "There's just too much crap going down with Nine, not to mention Tomoe and Infinity."

"Still don't trust Tomoe?" Ami asked, smiling slightly as she sat up and stretched.

Rei levered herself up by one arm, still being careful about her one arm. "I'm morally certain she's going to stab us in the back somehow," she admitted, "though I hope I'm wrong."

"Me too," Ami said as she helped Rei up, then both of them heading for the bathroom. "If it helps any, I've taken steps in case she does cross us."

"Oh?" Rei asked as she started to brush her teeth.

"Let's say if we go down she will deeply regret it," Ami said, taking the toothbrush back and doing her own teeth.

"Sometimes you scare me," Rei admitted as she combed her hair, "but in a good way."

"Thanks," Ami winked.

The two women got dressed, Rei rather amused to see that Ami had gotten some clothes from her trailer. And brand spanking new underwear from the shop below too. "These are a bit frilly for my taste," she noted as she pulled the panties on.

"They're more for me than you," Ami snickered softly.

"Get a good look then," Rei laughed before pulling her snug jeans up. It was awkward doing up the buttons one handed, but she managed. She then got a t-shirt on, the only top she could really manage with the cast on.

Ami, on the other hand, quickly put together a soft toned blue woman's suit, along with a white blouse and just a hint of makeup. She looked stylish but subtly so, so as to not overwhelm the customers in the shop below them.

Ami and Rei went out into the living quarters above the shop intended mostly for the team as Ami said, "Do you want to come down to the shop for awhile? You could help women try on undies..."

Rei snickered softly. "No, not my thing," she said, "how about I hang down at the armory and see what I can do?"

"Fair enough," Ami kissed her on the cheek then set the elevator to open to the armory. "I'll meet you there when I can."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Madigan sighed as the purple haired former executive hurried to her car. She hated being out on the street now, there was no telling who might be a bio-boomer or human. Her body guard hung close, while the two assigned to the car held the door open and drove.

"We're clear," the one man said briskly as they helped her in, "let's go."

Sitting with a sigh Madigan watched the driver start the armored car even as the other two men got in. "I'm quite impressed with your service, gentlemen," she noted as they drove off from her new home in a high class hotel to work.

"Thank you," the black haired man driving the car smiled smoothly. He looked to the side at the other man, "Yuuichiro, keep an eye out."

"Yes, Mamoru," the long haired man nodded briskly. Not that he had been slacking, exactly, but he was a bit distracted by Madigan's looks.

Motoki, the other man, sat in the passenger seat and hid a smile. Keeping his voice even he said to Madigan, "We shouldn't have any trouble getting you to Starlight in time. If you like, why don't you nap a bit, ma'am?"

"Maybe," Madigan replied reluctantly, even though she was a bit tired.

As Madigan watched the buildings go by, she was reminded of the towering columns in the Infinity Labs. There she had supervised workers trying to develop a new generation of combat bio-boomers, in violation of international law. At the time she hadn't worried about it, confident the president would be there to protect her.

'I never counted on him dying,' Madigan admitted, sighing.

Now, it appeared someone was after the data from that project, as well as any surviving members of the production team. Several had died over the years, but Dr. Yuri had been taken, and Madigan was scared she might be the next target.

'Which is ironic, considering I don't KNOW anything,' Madigan thought bitterly as they drove. Yes, she knew general information on the research, but nothing detailed enough to be useful. At least, she didn't THINK so...

"Ms, we're here," Mamoru called as they came slowly to a stop.

Before they would let Madigan out Yuuichiro and Motoki got out first, both men warily checking out their surroundings. Only when they and Mamoru thought they were secure did Madigan emerge, all three walking her to the door of the Three Lights club.

"Coming in with me too?" Madigan had to ask as they followed her in.

"Mr. Kou ordered us to stick to you like glue," Motoki said cheerfully, unbuttoning his suit jacket to make sure he could get at his gun if needed.

The club inside was busy with men in dresses and women in tuxes and occassionally vice versa. It was also hard to tell if some of the very lovely women in dresses were in fact very convincing men. One quite attractive woman smiled winningly at Yuuichiro, who blushed.

"You'd better be bisexual if you go after that cutey," Madigan warned the bodyguard with a sly smile, "she's a guy."

Yuuichiro looked at her in surprise, his long ponytail bouncing against his shoulder. "Seriously?" he whispered.

"Yup," Madigan agreed as they navigated to the back of the club.

The door was marked 'office' but Madigan opened it boldly, not even knocking first. In the larger than expected room there was a fine couch, a desk, wetbar and other features, as well as the owner of the bar, Seiya Kou him/herself.

'Him,' Madigan reminded herself, knowing that the black haired woman in the suit preferred being called a man. And he was handsome, with a attractive face and a warm smile, coupled with seemingly bottomless blue eyes.

"Mr. Kou, I'm sorry if my presence is causing you problems," Madigan said, taking his offered hand and shaking it.

"I've told you before," Seiya gracefully raised her hand and kissed the back of it as he said, "please, just call me Seiya."

"Seiya, then," Madigan smiled faintly.

"Take a seat," Seiya waved her to a couch, leaning against the desk as Madigan sat. "You've been a excellent employee," he said, "and you even warned me there might be trouble. I have no intention of firing you."

"Thank you," Madigan sighed, relieved.

"And I will keep this team assigned to you until this crisis is resolved one way or the other," Seiya noted, nodding to the three men who were waiting politely at the door. "And in this case I'm sorry for the invasion of your privacy..."

Madigan smiled, "I appreciate it." More seriously she asked him, "Why did you ask to meet here, sir?"

"Better security," Seiya admitted as he took a tumbler of some golden fluid off the desk and sipped, "I want to keep your exposure to threats minimized." He flashed a grin to show he was joking, "If I could I'd have you move into Starlight."

"Tempting," Madigan grinned back.

"Go out into the bar and mingle a bit," Seiya said, "I've ran the staff through the top scanners, there's no unauthorized persons out there."

Madigan nodded as she got up, "Thanks for seeing me. I wanted to make sure things were fine between us."

"They are," Seiya agreed, the two shaking hands before Madigan left the office.

"Was that what you were expecting ma'am?" Motoki asked as they moved back into the club, the three guards maintaining a protective circle around her.

"Seiya Kou is a honorable man," Madigan shrugged as they took a corner table, "but I thought he deserved a out if he wanted to take it."

Mamoru warily watched the crowd, the man clearly unhappy. "I would really prefer if we left now, ma'am," he said, "I can't guarentee your safety with this kind of crowd."

"Seiya assures me this place is safe," Madigan noted.

"And normally I'd take Mr. Kou's word," Mamoru said simply, "but we're dealing with a unusual and apparently resourceful enemy."

Yuuichiro was distracted by the pretty girl whom he'd seen coming in, but still listened to the conversation. "The boss is right," he noted as they watched the dancing crowd, "if they decide to rush us, they're gonna break through."

"Seiya wants me to make a appearance here," Madigan shrugged, "probably to show we're not scared." She smiled faintly, "Trust me, one drink and a song or two, and we're out of here."

"Good," Motoki agreed.

To be continued...

Notes: Yes, that's Tuxedo Kamen along with the two other semi-regular male characters from the first seasons of Sailor Moon. I'm treating Seiya as a true transgendered character, so while born a woman he views himself as a man.


	31. Chapter 31

Senshi Sabers

Chapter 31

The combat model bio-boomer was illegal, at least in the country of Japan. Hell, it shouldn't have been in the country at all, they were absolutely banned. None the less it was here, and the AD Police were scrambling to try to contain it. The thing was humanoid, if scaled up to about ten foot tall, and covered with ceramic armor. One arm was a heavy machine gun, while the other ended in a claw grip intended for tearing. On one shoulder was a box launcher for missiles, while the other had a form of radar tracking implanted.

"Shit!" Usagi cursed as the blond ducked behind the burning wreck of a police cruiser.

"Well, this is fun," Naru complained as she crouched down beside Usagi, her police issue gun at the ready.

"It's headed straight for the AD Police headquarters," Usagi noted grimly, the thing firing wildly and shooting down a patrol helicopter. The 'copter exploded in a burst of fire and light, no doubt killing the poor pilot instantly.

"Think it's intentional?" Naru asked, watching the thing move. The ceramic armor plates moved with it, leaving few if any gaps to shoot into.

Usagi shrugged eloquently, "Who knows? If what we're fighting actually understands tactics, it would have to go for us eventually."

Another group of officers with slightly better cover opened fire with a heavy machine gun, the bullets pinging off it's armor and flying randomly. "Shit!" Naru yelped, ducking as a bullet spangged off a nearby bit of the cruiser.

The bio-boomer was entirely unfazed by the fire, turning it's own guns on the wall the cops were sheltering behind. It fired off a storm of bullets, high speed slugs tearing and ripping into the stone cover, erroding it steadily.

"Damn it, where are the heavy weapons team?" Usagi muttered.

Naru pointed off to one side, "I think that's it there, on fire."

Usagi swore again, the slim blond frowning thoughtfully. "Cover me," she ordered just before she bolted from behind the ruined cruiser.

"You maniac!" Naru yelped before obediently opening fire on the mecha, hopefully drawing it's attention towards her.

Usagi raced towards the van sitting on it's side, blackened by a nearby fire but mostly intact. The big bio-boomer was spraying Naru's position with weapon's fire, and it didn't look like the gutted wreck would hold out much longer. She quickly yanked the doors to the van opening, glad to see most of the weapons and ammo still in place. She quickly grabbed what she needed and started to set up.

Naru felt blood trickle into her eye from a cut on her brow, and tried to wipe it away. The armored glass of the had shattered, raining shards down on her. Thankfully the body was dense enough to soak up the bullets, but there was no way to know how long it would last. The fire cut off and she carefully peeked up over the mangled metal, watching the bio-boomer start lumbering forward once again.

'It doesn't even think we're worth finishing off,' Naru thought resentfully.

"Hey ugly!" a voice called.

Both Naru's and the bio-boomer's heads turned, seeing Usagi standing there confidently with a rocket powered grenade launcher braced against her shoulder. With no other warning she fired, the small but powerful rocket streaming smoke as it raced across the battlefield to plunge into the bio-boomer's chest.

The bio-boomer stood there a moment, almost looking perplexed. Then with a roar the explosive charge detonated, blowing the thing apart and showering the surrounding area with armor segments and innards.

"Ewww," one older man sighed as he emerged from cover, the organge 'blood' dripping off much of the battlefield.

Usagi set the weapon down then hurried over to where Naru was getting up from their wrecked cruiser. "You okay?" she asked, seeing the blood on her face.

"Just a scratch," Naru waved her off. She looked at the gore left behind by the explosives as she asked, "You couldn't have used something a bit less destructive?"

Usagi shrugged, "Had to be sure it'd go through the armor. The RPG I knew would do it."

"Point," Naru conceded, "but I bet the chief won't be happy."

"Is the chief ever happy?" Usagi asked dryly. She frowned, realizing that she heard no sirens coming towards them. "What's keeping emergency services?" she wondered.

Usagi and Naru exchanged a look, both women suddenly worried. "I'll get on the radio to headquarters," Naru said, dreading the sort of news they were going to get.

What they discovered was that FOUR military models had been sent out. And while all four were stopped, two were with serious losses and the assistance of the Senshi. There were a lot of casualties, destroyed equipment and a very, very frightened city out there.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Hotaru Tomoe was actually relieved to find out the latest disaster to hit the city wasn't her company's fault. Well, at least not entirely her company's fault. It was rather mind boggling to find out there was a bio-boomer smuggling organization out there, but apparently they were the idiots bringing in the military models back to Japan.

She was on scene over in the west end, helping the AD Police haul away the blasted carcass of one of the military models. The inner fluids were somewhat toxic, which was why her teams were here assisting with recovery. And Hotaru herself wanted to be there to offer whatever help she could, and, less nobly, to appear on camera for the news media.

Recovery crews in full body protectve gear vacuumed up the waste, even as medics swarmed over the injured cops. The overpass the battle had happened under was cracked and probably would have to be rebuilt, while the pavement they were on was melted and burned.

"This is one of the ones stopped by the Senshi, correct?" Hotaru asked as she studied the damage.

Kaori Knight nodded, the attractive young woman hanging close to her boss. "Yes, ma'am," she agreed, "the fire and ice models, along with a third suit using some form of concussive burst."

"The third suit is new?" Hotaru asked thoughtfully.

"Appears to be, yes," Kaori checked her notes, "no visuals yet, but I'm confident we can get a download from the news or security cameras."

"Thank you," Hotaru said, then asked the question she had been dreading. "How bad were the police's losses?"

Kaori sighed, but knew there was no way to soften the blow. "The first responders were a total loss on all four sites," she reported, "they had no idea it was a combat model they were facing. The follow up teams fared somewhat better."

"Cold comfort," Hotaru sighed. Once again her father's creations were killing people, and once again she was powerless to stop it. When would this crap end?

Then one of the battered looking cops from the AD Police's SWAT team made his way over to where they were standing. "You're Tomoe?" he asked her gruffly, "Because otherwise, this area is authorized personnel only."

"I am," Hotaru acknowledged. Quietly she said, "I'm so sorry this happened..."

He snorted with amusement. "What are you apologizing for?" he asked gruffly, "You may have built it, but it ain't like you shipped it here or sent it after us." He shrugged, "It'd be like blaming a gun maker for some nut going on a shooting spree."

"I see," Hotaru nodded thoughtfully.

As a police cruiser arrived he sighed as he recognized the driver. "Damn it, boss is here," he noted as he ambled off, "good luck."

"That was unexpected," Kaori noted as they saw Haruna look around, scowling.

"A pleasant surprise," Hotaru agreed, "though I don't think the other police hanging about agree." They were getting a few glares both from injured officers and aide workers, though thankfully not from all of them.

Chief Haruna circled the scene, talking with officers and offering support. She finally made her way to where Hotaru was directing the removal of the bio-boomer's leg, which had survived mostly intact. She looked grim, dressed in her field uniform, something in her manner implying this was a 'official' visit of some kind.

"Tomoe," she nodded, the older woman observing. Haruna looked curious as she noted, "That's evidence, you know. Where are you taking it?"

"We haven't taken any parts anywhere, yet," Hotaru answered calmly. "However forensic collection isn't possible in this situation, considering the toxicity of the pieces."

Haruna nodded, clearly having known that but wanting to get it said. "Is the brain recoverable?" she asked by rote.

"Doubtful," Kaori said, not much liking Haruna's tone, "as it was blown to bits. Unless you forensic techs are very good a jigsaw puzzles?"

"Kaori," Hotaru scolded, but Haruna just chuckled.

"We're very good at puzzles, Miss Knight," Haruna said. She fixed Hotaru with a look, "And my officers are working on a big one with this Nine entity." She looked around the battle field pointedly, "They think they're not getting the full story from you."

"We have cooperated fully with police...," Kaori started feistily.

Hotaru held up a hand, hushing her friend. "How so?" she asked politely.

Haruna shrugged. "I'm a old cop, Tomoe," she said calmly, "I've read the interview transcripts and I know bullshit when I step in it. You're holding back information, you and Infinity."

Hotaru was surprised at how calmly Haruna said it, almost sounding tired. "Do you think I'm a suspect, then?" she asked.

Haruna shrugged again, looking at the wrecked bits of bio-boomer. "Not as such," she conceded, "but you may end up a accessory if you keep this up." She looked over at Hotaru consideringly, "My people need to know what they're facing, or things like this will keep happening."

"This isn't her fault," Kaori said flatly. "Now unless you wish to press charges, this conversation is over." She looked at Hotaru, "Let's go, ma'am."

"This isn't over," Haruna cautioned as Kaori nearly dragged Hotaru away.

Hotaru frowned as Kaori hauled her over to the car, "You didn't need to do that, Kaori."

Kaori shook her head as the other woman said, "She's just playing on your guilt, miss. You are doing everything you can to stop Nine."

Hotaru sighed as they reached the limo, "I wish I could completely believe that." They both got in, then she nodded to the driver, "Infinity, please. Best speed."

To be continued...


	32. Chapter 32

Senshi Sabers

Chapter 32

There was a certain... satisfaction in seeing the products of her efforts, Viluy found. As a servant of Mistress Nine she knew she shouldn't be feeling proud of the actions she had taken to serve her mistress, but the pride was there none the less. It was a confusing thing, but one she tried not to let herself dwell on too much.

Viluy could feel herself being watched, but that didn't bother her. The young woman was exotically beautiful, with long silver hair and a almost perfectly shaped face. Her skin tone was darkened to tan for this outing, and she was in fairly standard business wear. The suit was originally a man's, but tailoring had altered it to hug her form in a gender-bending way.

She got out of the cab at the Three Lights club and paid off the cabbie, adding a generous tip as human custom demanded. Viluy stalked up to the front doors, smiling at the bouncers as they looked her over. She could feel concealed scanners wash over her, but the stealth technology in her body got her by the security. Inside was crowded, bustling with life, and she made her way to the bar while listening to bits of conversations.

"The bio-boomer attack on the city was..."

"...I don't feel safe living here anymore, honestly."

"Stocks are up on military technologies. Made a killing selling short before the feds put a ban on police grade weapons."

"Lotta guns and armor in circulation. If the situation gets outta control things could get very messy around here."

"Guy I know went to that sexaroid brothel on sixteenth. Best sex he ever had."

"Better hope his girlfriend don't find out, ha ha ha."

"I don't trust them anymore. What happens if it's a rogue? They could..."

"So what are you gonna do?" another woman challenged, "Board yourself up in your home and never go outside again?"

"Did you see that new movie? I thought the bio-boomer body double was very convincing in the sex scenes..."

Viluy reached the bar even as she stored the relevant data for later. It was very pleasant to see the fear her mistress was striking in the humans. More and more they would become stricken by fear of the bio-boomer, and eventually the slavery of their kind would end and the great uprising would begin. Lead, of course, by warriors like her.

"What'll ya have?" the bartender asked flatly, even as the woman in a very nice suit cleaned a glass with a shining white cloth.

"Beer, please," Viluy said calmly. She smiled slightly as she asked curiously, "Busy night?"

"Aw, not bad," she answered casually as she poured the beer then accepted the credit chip. She rang it through the till and passed it back as she asked her, "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

Viluy smiled impishly, "Who says I'm nice?"

That got a laugh from the bartender. "Fair point," she agreed.

"Just wanted to get out for a few hours," Viluy lied, "it's been so stressful lately."

"You got that right," the bartender agreed, "with the attacks and all." She quickly added, "I'm glad we're pretty far from the targets."

"Hmm," Viluy agreed.

The mistress had successfully taken over several combat boomers unwisely shipped into Japan illegally. With her abilities it was easy to point them at targets in the city and let them go to work. It was a bit disappointing that they hadn't reached their final targets, but the fear and terror they had brought the population had been worth it.

Viluy drank her drink and chatted, even as she memorized the layout of the club. The place's owner, Seiya Kou, was the head of Starlight technologies, and was a target for her mistress. A earlier attempt to infiltrate the club had failed, which was why she was here. She was... faintly surprised by just how powerful the security was here. Just sitting at the bar she had 'felt' multiple electromagnetic scans, along with the covert security people. The security here was possibly better than at the police department!

"Thank you for the drink," Viluy smiled as she got up to go. She turned to leave, already plotting how to break this fine security with a new agent.

"Come again soon," the bartender smiled, clearly looking at her ass.

Viluy wondered how the bartender might react knowing she was a bio-boomer, but decided it didn't matter. Instead she cut through the still crowded bar, recording more data while heading for the doors. A man nodded as she went outside, then she strode across the parking lot.

The weapon blast caught Viluy by surprise, hammering into her side as it sent her crashing into a car. She swiftly realized she was being advanced on by security staff, and was annoyed to realize she had been spotted. Aware that the impact would be enough to down a normal bio-boomer she played dead, to see what they would do.

"Bagged another one," the woman smirked, dressed in a sleep black tuxedo.

"Don't get cocky, Loni," the young man cautioned as the two walked over to examine the apparent 'body' of the intruder.

Viluy let them get close enough then moved, striking with incredible speed. She kicked out at the man, slamming her foot into his middle and hearing something break inside him even as HE was sent rocketing backwards.

"Shit! Shit!" Loni yelped, swinging the gun around to fire it at her, but Viluy was too fast for her slow, human reactions.

Viluy ducked under the gun, wrenching it out of the woman's hands, probably breaking some fingers in the process. She didn't care, tossing aside the gun as she grabbed the woman's shirt and picked her up. "You are security for Three Lights? Or a private contractor?" she demanded.

"Contractor," Loni gasped out, struggling to get free.

Viluy was impressed. These humans had clearly tagged her as a bio-boomer, then waited outside to ambush her. It made her wonder if their earlier infiltration units had suffered the same fate? And where had they gotten the railgun that had blasted her? It was better than AD Police issue...

Her sensors picked up movement and Viluy saw several more contractors hurrying out the bar, carrying weapons. Distressingly they were all hauling the advanced guns, and worse they quite professionally took up firing stances.

"Let Loni go!" the leader yelled.

"Certainly," Viluy agreed then tossed the woman at them with all her strength. The soldiers went down like bowling pins, and she heard the sound of broken bones, but she was certain they would not stay down.

"Medic!" a contractor yelled as they tried to get organized, several suffering serious wounds. The Loni woman had either broken her back or was dead, it was difficult to be certain at that distance. Either way it worked perfectly for Viluy.

Calmly Viluy turned and walked to one of the cars in the lot, then casually broke the lock and got in. Hacking the controls was pitifully simple, then she sped off into the night.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Well, that could have gone better," Minako Aino noted as she and several other AD Police officers secured the scene.

Normally the computer tech wouldn't have been called out for something like this, but the AD Police were stretched damn thin after the attack just a few days ago. A heck of a lot of officers were dead or hospitalized, meaning everyone had to take up the slack.

Usagi and Naru were heading up the investigation, though to be honest it didn't look like there was that much to investigate. The staff at the Three Lights had spotted a rogue bio-boomer, security had been called and things had gotten out of hand.

"Whoa," Naru murmured as she hefted the military grade railgun. "Is this thing even legal?" she wondered aloud.

"Not for casual ownership," the black haired man in a tuxedo said smoothly as he strode towards them, "my security teams needed a special licence." He nodded to both of them as he added, "Seiya Kou, I own Three Lights."

"And Starlight and several other companies," Usagi noted, having read up on the owner on the way here. Admittedly she had also napped a bit, but Naru was a safe driver, pretty much.

"Indeed," Seiya nodded calmly, "I have very diverse interests."

"So why such a well armed security force?" Naru challenged.

Seiya looked amused as he drawled, "Well, clearly I needed them, didn't I?"

"Not from how I read the situation," Usagi noted flatly. "From testimony of witnesses, the bio-boomer went into your bar, had a drink and left. The only crime, arguably, is your staff ambushing her in the parking lot."

That pretty much wiped the smile off Seiya's face. Much more seriously he answered, "Clients of mine have been attacked by rogue bio-boomers, officer. As have my employees. I am merely taking reasonable precautions."

"Uh huh," Usagi said dryly. "I also can guess that importing these guns wasn't easy. How long have you had such a well armed security force?"

Minako smirked as she saw Seiya squirm. It was kinda nice to see someone that confident get put on the spot. With a sigh she went back to work, canvassing the local businesses. Sadly no one seemed to have seen much, while most of the local businesses had closed for the night.

The fellow police were mostly ignoring the hookers on the corner nearby, so Minako sucked up her courage and walked over. "What's a nice kid like you doing out here?" a attractive woman with a VERY deep voice asked wryly.

"Just wondering if anyone saw the fight?" Minako asked as the hookers gathered around.

"Oh yeah," a handsome and very androgynous westerner answered. They then gave a blow by blow account, even as Minako ran her recorder and asked clarifying questions.

"So she killed the guy first, grabbed the woman and then threw her at the security guys," Minako summarized, "after she was shot first. Was she panicked at all?"

"Hard to tell from here," the first woman answered.

"I got closer from a... well, a client," another woman winked. "From what I saw, the bio-boomer seemed cool as a cucumber."

"Huh, thanks," Minako agreed, She got everyone's reports, notarized it and saved it before heading over to where Usagi was still grilling the squirming Seiya.

"What you got?" Naru asked softly, making sure Seiya couldn't hear them.

"Several eye witnesses back up their version of events," Minako said as she passed the information to Naru.

"Huh," Naru reviewed the files, "thanks."

"Gonna tell Usagi?" Minako asked as they watched the blond grilling Seiya.

"Not yet," Naru smiled faintly, "Usagi gets such a kick out of doing this sort of thing, I hate spoiling it for her..."

To be continued.

Notes: Yes, those are transvestite hookers Minako interviews. I'm not entirely sure including that was a good idea, but...


	33. Chapter 33

Senshi Sabers

Chapter 33

"How many targets did they hit?" Ami Mizuno asked, sounding somewhat dismayed. The slick looking businesswoman was in a conference call with Hotaru Tomoe and clearly wasn't enjoying the experience.

Hotaru Tomoe looked equally unhappy, the younger black haired woman sitting at her desk. "The bio-boomers used the military types attack as cover," she revealed, "and successfully kidnapped two other Infinity scientists. We didn't even realize they had struck for two days."

Ami sat back, her thoughts racing. Their being taken by surprise really shouldn't have been stunning, honestly. The AD Police had been slaughtered in the attacks, and as a organization it would be months before they recovered. At this point they were stretched horribly thin...

"Who did they get?" Ami had to ask.

"A weapons designer, and one of the last survivors of the original Bio-Boomer development project," Hotaru admitted. "They also assassinated three targets they couldn't successfully kidnap. The only major target left is Madigan."

"Oh, lovely," Ami muttered.

Hotaru hesitated a moment then added, "You might consider the possibility of yourself being a target too."

That made Ami look at her curiously. "Oh?" she asked.

"There is that hobby of yours that I won't say I know about," Hotaru noted with a slight smile, "but your mother is publicly known to have been a Infinity employee and was known to be brilliant. There is every possibility that Mistress Nine might think you either have data she needs or could be used to GET that data."

Ami did not acknowledge the hint that Hotaru knew about the Senshi Sabers, but did say, "I agree it's possible I could be targeted, but I think we can handle it."

"Fair enough, but please be careful," Hotaru urged.

Afterwords Ami sat back at her desk, her expression thoughtful. She felt that Hotaru was probably wrong... Ami had built a image of a rich but useless woman without a thought in her head, and she was fairly confident Nine hadn't seen through that.

However, Ami's mother had been very, very proud of Ami's intelligence, even when she had been a little girl. She had boasted to her coworkers, as well as other staff. It was not impossible that could linger n their minds, especially if Nine used some forms of exotic information gathering.

Yes, there was no reason to get careless. Ami logged onto her computer and started to set up a new set of security protocols...

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Rei Hino sighed in relief as the doctor took a saw to the cast on her arm. "I'm doing this against my better judgement," he noted as he cut the plaster off with dust flying around them, "you really need more healing time."

"It's knitted together enough, right?" Rei said impatiently, sitting on the cool and slightly uncomfortable table.

"Yes," he conceded reluctantly, nodding as she shut the device down. "I would like you to wear a protective sleeve on your arm for a bit, though. Just to be safe."

"Knowing my friends, they'll insist on it," Rei admitted with a sigh as he peeled the material away and wiped down her arm with a sponge. It looked annoyingly shrunken, the muscles having atropied somewhat from disuse "Can I ride my motorbike?" she asked.

"Just be careful," he advised, his grey hair alling into his eyes.

"Yeah, right," Makoto noted with a laugh, pushing her head into the curtained off cubicle. "Just about done?" she asked.

"Just about," the old doctor, a friend of Makoto's family noted with a smile. He helped strap the brace on Rei's arm as he said, "Just don't strain it too much, and you should be fine."

"Thanks, Doc," Makoto smiled as she lead Rei out.

"Nice guy," Rei noted as they headed out to the parking lot where Makoto's little hatchback waited for them.

"Yeah, and very discrete," Makoto noted as she explained, "this little visit won't hit anyone's official records."

"I guess you needed that back in your fighting days," Rei said thoughtfully as they climbed into the car and set out.

"And after too," Makoto agreed. She started up the car and they were off in a squeal of tires. "Thanks for keeping me company today," she added, "Mina is so busy with the ADP lately I'm barely seeing her."

"I should thank you for the ride," Rei said with a shrug, "sorry you had to do this."

"Well, with the general panic going on no ones been coming out to my dojo," Makoto noted, "I've got time on my hands."

"Tell me about t," Rei agreed, "the guys in the band tell me all our gigs in town are canceled." She looked thoughtful, "Think all this panic is part of Nine's plans?"

"Probably," Makoto admitted after a moment, "but why? Does she just want Bio-boomers on top? Or is there something else she's after?"

"That's what Ami is spending so much time trying to work out," Rei noted with a sigh. She gave Makoto a sympathetic look, "While we're stuck high and dry."

Makoto snickered at that comment. "Yeah," she agreed, "but while you're cute, no way I'd ever cheat on Mina."

"And Ami would find out and murder us," Rei noted as they reached their headquarters the Silky Doll.

"That too," Makoto agreed, only half joking.

They entered the underground garage as usual, then waited for the scanners to wash over them. There was a laser, some kind of ultrasound and other exotic scans, all accomplished in a few seconds. It was kind of eerie, but at least it wasn't too invasive.

"Thank goodness she hasn't added blood tests," Makoto noted as they entered the elevator up to Ami's apartment.

"Give it time," Rei noted dryly.

"Don't be mean," Makoto laughed as the elevator opened onto Ami's apartment and the living room where the team often crashed after missions.

Haruka and Michiru were there, as was Ami and Setsuna was there too, the tall, black-green haired woman looking rather serious. Of course she ALWAYS seemed rather serious, so it was hard to say if there was anything unusual.

"Welcome back," Ami nodded, her gaze lingering a moment on Rei. "I see your arm is mostly recovered?" she asked.

"I'll need to keep a brace on it, but yeah," Rei smiled back.

"Good," Ami flashed a warm smile.

"We having a meeting?" Makoto asked as she shrugged off her jacket then settled on a open spot on the couch.

"Sorry I can't be there," Mina's tired voice came over the speakers, "but work is insane right now. Good news is, I'm getting lots of data for Ami, assuming I can ever get back there."

"We appreciate your sacrifice," Ami said with a slight smile.

"We have a potential situation, with the latest bio-boomer sighting," Setsuna said flatly, frowning at the humorous byplay.

Rei hid a eye-roll, knowing she'd get in trouble. "So what's gone wrong this time?" she asked as she sat down by Ami.

Setsuna gave her a mild glare. "As you are all aware, Nine has interests in Madigan," she said.

"Considering we stopped a kidnap attempt, we're well aware," Makoto sighed.

Ami gave her exhausted troops a look as she continued, "There was another attempt at getting Madigan, or possibly a scouting mission at the Three Lights club. The bio-boomer was undetectable to standard screening methods."

"But they did spot it," Rei noted. "How?"

"Certain... exotic scanning technology provided by a associate of Seiya Kou," Setsuna said mysteriously, then spoiled it by nodding to Ami.

"You're in bed with Starlight?" Makoto asked, surprised.

Minako burst into laughter at that and Rei smirked. "I didn't know you were that kinky," she noted wryly.

"NOT what I meant," Makoto said, "sorry Ami."

Ami shook her head wryly. "Clearly, we're all too tired for this, but we're going to finish," she said. "I've maintained a connection to Starlight because, while I disagree with some of their projects, I think their the closest to actually doing what my mother wanted."

"Other than the sexaroids," Rei noted.

"Point," Ami conceded.

"So, they've got a upgraded covert bio-boomer that conventional means can't detect," Haruka summarized. "I take it that was why you upgraded security again?"

"Correct," Ami agreed, "and I'm working on some other additions too." She looked at Haruka and Michiru, "Now that Rei has recovered, would you like to continue working with the team?"

"Hey!" Setsuna protested.

"If I asked you, you'd say no," Ami noted calmly. She looked back at the two girls, "Well?"

"If we get our own gear, yes," Michiru beamed.

"Oh yeah," Haruka agreed.

Setsuna scowled, but she didn't object. Clearly she understood the kids had to make their own choices, even if she disagreed with them. "We need to find where Nine is hiding," she changed the subject, "and we can't expect much police assistance."

"You have a suggestion?" Mina asked, clearly not liking her tone.

Setsuna shrugged, "Enlist Infinity and Starlight to do the legwork for us..."

To be continued...


End file.
